HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum: Deportation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the rate of deportations of  (a) failed asylum seekers and  (b) illegal immigrants by the UK Border Agency was in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  what the rate of deportations of children of  (a) failed asylum seekers and  (b) illegal immigrants has been in each of the last 12 months.

Damian Green: We have interpreted "deportations" to mean "removals" and "illegal immigrants" to mean "non asylum offenders".
	We have interpreted children to mean a dependant of a main applicant who is under 18 so have not included figures in relation to unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
	Table 1 shows the latest published statistics for asylum cases and non asylum cases removed from the UK in each month during the period July 2009 to June 2010.
	Table 2 shows internal management information for the number of dependants (under 18) of failed asylum seekers and non-asylum offenders that were removed from the UK in each month during the period July 2009 to June 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: Total cases removed or departed voluntarily from the United Kingdom, excluding non-asylum cases refused entry at port and subsequently removed( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4, ) July 2009 to June 2010 
			   Total asylum cases  Non-asylum cases  Total removals 
			 July 2009 1,025 2.115 3.140 
			 August 2009 1,010 2,250 3.260 
			 September 2009 1,005 2,550 3,555 
			 October 2009 920 2,535 3,455 
			 November 2009 995 2,685 3,680 
			 December 2009 855 2,525 3.380 
			 January 2010 900 2,565 3,465 
			 February 2010 920 2,480 3,400 
			 March 2010 1,050 2,285 3.335 
			 April 2010 690 2,250 2,940 
			 May 2010 855 2,675 3,530 
			 June 2010 835 2,370 3,200 
			 Total 11,060 29,285 40,340 
			 (1 )Figures are provisional, rounded to the nearest 5 and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) Includes persons departing voluntarily after notifying the UK Border Agency of their intention to leave prior to their departure, persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration and persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. (3) Removals and voluntary departures recorded on the system as at the dates on which the data extracts were taken. Figures will under record due to data cleansing and data matching exercises that take place after the extracts are taken. (4) Excludes non-asylum cases refused entry at port and subsequently removed. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Total dependants under 18 removed or departed voluntarily from the United Kingdom, excluding non-asylum cases refused entry at port and subsequently removed, July 2009 to June 2010 
			   FAS dependants (under 18)  Non-asylum dependants (under 18)  Total removals 
			 July 2009 39 150 189 
			 August 2009 41 101 142 
			 September 2009 31 121 152 
			 October 2009 44 128 172 
			 November 2009 56 111 167 
			 December 2009 39 91 130 
			 January 2010 35 101 136 
			 February 2010 37 88 125 
			 March 2010 52 73 125 
			 April 2010 31 80 111 
			 May 2010 36 99 135 
			 June 2010 11 94 105 
			 Total 452 1,237 1,689 
			  Notes: 1. Failed Asylum Seeker (FAS)-Where an asylum application has been refused and all appeal rights exhausted during this period of stay in the UK (whether leave to enter/remain was extant or not) 2. Non asylum offender (NAO)-any other person subject to immigration controls in breach of their given leave to enter/remain. Overstayers and all other categories except Asylum Seekers. 3. Age calculated as at date of removal 4. All data subject to CID data quality issues. 5. All data is subject to continual reconciliation and cleansing; treated as Management Information only within UKBA.

Asylum: Deportation

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the UK Border Agency on the effect on  (a) the management of deportation of families seeking asylum and  (b) the number of deportations of the decision no longer to detain families scheduled for deportation.

Theresa May: The Government are committed to ending the detention of children for immigration purposes. I am having ongoing discussions with the UK Border Agency about how this can be achieved in a way which promotes the welfare of children while ensuring the return of families who have no right to be in the UK.

Borders: Personal Records

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effects on the e-borders programme of not proceeding with second generation biometric passports; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa May: holding answer 7 September 2010
	I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the response I gave him on 22 June 2010,  Official Report, column 525W.

British Nationality

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she intends to implement the provisions in the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 in respect of the pathway to citizenship.

Theresa May: holding answer 8 September 2010
	I believe that broad reform to the path to settlement and citizenship is necessary and I am currently considering the best way to achieve that. Applicants for British citizenship continue to be considered under the current requirements contained in the British Nationality Act 1981.

Departmental Billing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many payments to suppliers were made by  (a) her Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies (i) within 30 days of, (ii) over 30 days after, (iii) over 60 days after and (iv) over 90 days after the date of invoice in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: Invoice payment information for the Home Department, inclusive of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, for paying suppliers in the latest periods for which figures are available is as follows:
	
		
			   Period  (i) Within 30 days  (ii) 31 to 60 days  (iii) 61 to 90 days  (iv) Over 90 days 
			 (a) Home Office Head Quarters August 2010 1,843 73 19 24 
			 (b) Criminal Records Bureau August 2010 212 23 9 1 
			 (b) Identity and Passport Service August 2010 946 8 1 0 
			 (b) UK Border Agency August 2010 4,715 115 52 85 
			 (c) Independent Police Complaints Commission August 2010 296 0 0 0 
			 (c) Independent Safeguarding Authority August 2010 130 0 0 0 
			 (c)The National Police Improvement Agency August 2010 891 276 94 104 
			 (c) The Office of the Immigration Service Commission August 2010 9 0 0 0 
			 (c) Security Industry Authority August 2010 152 3 0 0 
			 (c) The Serious Organised Crime Agency 30 July to 3 September 1,772 340 149 108

Departmental Official Hospitality

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in the Department in each of the last three years.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office finance system does not separately identify the cost of individual hospitality events hosted by individual Ministers from overall hospitality costs. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

DNA: Databases

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to bring forward legislative proposals to limit the retention of DNA profiles taken from those arrested but not convicted; for how long from the point of arrest she proposes that profiles of those arrested but not convicted in cases deemed serious should be retained before removal; and by what date she expects existing DNA profiles of those arrested but not convicted in cases not deemed serious to have been removed from the database.

James Brokenshire: The Government will bring forward proposals in the Freedom Bill later this autumn to adopt the protections of the Scottish model.
	This will mean that DNA from the un-convicted is only held in the case of those arrested for serious offences-and then only for a limited period of three years, extendable for two years with the approval of a court. DNA taken in respect of those arrested for but not convicted of a minor offence will not be retained. Further details will be announced to the House in due course.

DNA: Databases

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2010,  Official Report, column 632W, on DNA: databases, if she will estimate the number of DNA matches made with the National DNA Database since 4 December 2008 in respect of individuals whose DNA profiles would have been removed from the database by the changes proposed by the Government in light of the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of S and Marper.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is not available.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to engage with specialist frontline service's and women's sector organisations to ensure women fleeing violence can access effective support.

James Brokenshire: There is currently a range of work streams across Government Departments to ensure that partners and frontline services are engaged. The Government provide funding for a number of victim services and works with the women's sector to deliver these. The Home Office has already committed over £8 million in 2010-11 to support some of these key services.
	The Government are currently considering their approach to tackling violence against women and girls and a new strategy will be delivered in the spring.

Domestic Violence: Immigrants

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the scheme allowing women in the UK on spousal visas to access refuge accommodation for a fixed period of time; whether she plans to extend that scheme; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: A Home Office pilot project for victims of domestic violence with no recourse to public funds commenced in November 2009 and was scheduled to run to the end of August 2010. On 16 July, the Home Secretary announced an extension to the pilot until the end of March 2011 and a commitment to find a long-term funding solution to the issue. The pilot is monitored on a monthly basis and a full evaluation will take place following completion of the pilot.

EU Law

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department work  (a) full-time and  (b) for most of their time on the negotiation, implementation or administration of EU legislation and consequent policies.

James Brokenshire: The negotiation, implementation and administration of EU legislation and policies impacts on most areas of Home Office responsibility and is consequently integrated into the work of Department officials. In addition, within the Department about 30 members of staff work full-time on EU policy with the EU institutions and member states, with a particular focus on justice and home affairs.

Female Genital Mutilation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to strengthen enforcement of legislation prohibiting female genital mutilation; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 13 September 2010
	The Government are committed to developing a strategy to tackle violence against women and girls and this will include female genital mutilation. Legislation alone cannot eliminate the practice so our resources will be aimed at raising awareness of the law on female genital mutilation and the health implications with communities and front-line practitioners.

Offensive Weapons: Internet

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department takes to ensure that illegal weapons are not purchased in the UK via the internet; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 26 July 2010
	The UK has some of the toughest firearms laws in the world.
	UK Border Agency are responsible for intercepting and seizing a wide range of prohibited and restricted goods at the border, including firearms and other weapons, their parts and ammunition. International parcel and courier post are targeted because they are assessed as a high risk for delivery of weapons bought over the internet. In addition, the Association of Chief Police Officers lead a multi-agency programme under the UK organised crime control strategy which aims to detect, deter and disrupt the acquisition, use and trafficking of firearms by organised criminals. This includes activity with UK and international partners focussing on internet sales of firearms, replica firearms, ammunition and component parts.
	In the case of knives, in 2009, 21 major retailers signed up to a six point plan to tackle under-age knife sales. A particular concern was online retail sales, and the majority of these major retailers removed online sales of knives from their websites.

Police: EU Countries

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by police forces in the UK on evidence-gathering for police forces of other EU member states in the last three years.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 13 September 2010
	UK police forces do not have specific officers who deal solely with these requests. Each request is different and will be executed by different police officers. Consequently, neither the Home Office nor individual police forces have such information available.

Police: Finance

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of funding for each police force was  (a) provided from central Government  (b) raised locally and  (c) raised from other sources in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: The amount of funding provided from central Government and raised locally is available from the following web link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/police-finance/
	Information on funding from other sources is not held centrally but can be found in the 2008-09 actuals or 2009-10 estimate statistics from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

Police: Kent

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police community support officers,  (b) uniformed officers and  (c) civilian staff have been recruited by Kent Police in each year since 2000.

Nick Herbert: The available data are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  PCSOs, police officers and police staff joiners( 1)  in Kent( 2)  1999-2000 to 2009-10( 3) 
			  Financial year  Police community support officers( 4, 5)  Police officers( 6)  Police staff( 5, 7, 8) 
			 1999-2000 - 174 - 
			 2000-01 - 269 - 
			 2001-02 - 286 - 
			 2002-03 - 370 291 
			 2003-04 5 326 544 
			 2004-05 42 225 382 
			 2005-06 10 257 385 
			 2006-07 109 274 331 
			 2007-08 217 205 329 
			 2008-09 95 268 404 
			 2009-10 44 166 297 
			 (1) Figures include the following types of joiners: 'Standard Direct', 'Rejoining', 'Previously Special' and 'Transfer'.  (2 )This table contains full-time equivalent figures for Kent. They have been rounded to the nearest whole number.  (3) Figures prior to 2002-03 are not comparable with figures after that date. Prior to 2002-03 transfers were excluded from joiner figures. Also prior to 2002-03 figures are on a headcount basis.  (4) Police community support officers (PCSOs) came into operation in September 2002, therefore figures are not available prior to 2003-04.  (5) Figures for PCSOs and police staff are provisional and have not been verified by forces.  (6 )Figures for uniformed officers are not collected therefore figures for police officers have been provided.  (7 )Police staff includes designated officers but excludes police community support officers and traffic wardens.  (8 )Figures for police staff joiners are not available prior to 2002-03. Prior to 2002-03 transfers were excluded from joiner figures and figures for joiners were on a headcount as opposed to a full-time equivalent basis.   Note:  Prior to 2002-03 transfers were excluded from joiner figures and figures for joiners were on a headcount as opposed to a full-time equivalent basis.

Police: Pay

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of police officers in Essex will have their pay frozen as a result of the decision to freeze the wages of public sector workers.

Nick Herbert: My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary announced at the 2010 Police Federation Conference that the Government would honour the remainder of the three-year pay deal for police officers, which ends on 31 August 2011. Thereafter the Government's policy is to freeze the pay of public sector workers earning over £21,000 for two years. We would expect this to apply to police officers, taking account of any recommendations from the Police Negotiating Board.

Police: Reform

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to  (a) improve the efficiency and productivity of police forces in England and Wales,  (b) reform police working practices and  (c) reduce the administrative burden on police forces.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 26 July 2010
	 The steps that the Government plan to make on all of these issues were announced by the Home Secretary on 26 July 2010 and are set out in a consultation paper "Policing in the 21(st) Century: Reconnecting Police and the People". A copy can be found on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/policing-21st-century/

Public Order Act 1986: Arrests

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) arrested,  (b) charged and  (c) convicted of a criminal offence under Part 3A of the Public Order Act 1986 in each year from 2006 to 2010.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 9 September 2010
	 The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery. From these centrally reported categories it is not possible to separately identify offences under part 3A of the Public Order Act 1986.
	Figures provided by the Ministry of Justice on the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under part 3A of the Public Order Act 1986 in each year from 2006 to 2008 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	Charging data are not held on the Ministry of Justice's proceedings database. Figures for those proceeded against at magistrates courts are provided in lieu of these.
	Figures for 2009 will be published in Criminal Statistics for England and Wales 2009 on 21 October 2010. Figures for 2010 the autumn of 2011.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty( 1, 2)  at all courts for offences relating to part 3A of the Public Order Act 1986( 3) , England Wales, 2006 - 08( 4) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 2006 13 7 
			 2007 12 9 
			 2008(4) 14 14 
			 (1 )The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations ere taken into account when those data are used. (3) The following statutes and corresponding offence descriptions have been used: Public Order Act 1986 S.18 Use of words or behaviour or display of written material intended or likely to stir up racial hatred Public Order Act 1986 S.19 Publishing or distributing written material intended or likely to stir up racial hatred Public Order Act 1986 S.20 Public performance of play intended or likely to stir up racial hatred Public Order Act 1986 S.21 Distributing, showing or playing a recording intended or likely to stir up racial hatred Public Order Act 1986 S.22 Broadcasting or including a programme in programme service intended or likely to stir up racial hatred Public Order Act 1986 S.23 Possession of a racially inflammatory piece of material Public Order Act 1986 S.29B Using words or behaviour or display of written material (acts intended to stir up religious hatred) Public Order Act 1986 S.29C Publishing or distributing written material (acts intended to stir up religious hatred) Public Order Act 1986 S.29D Public performance of a play (acts intended to stir up religious hatred) Public Order Act 1986 S.29E Distributing, showing or playing a recording (acts intended to stir up religious hatred) Public Order Act 1986 S.29F(1) and (2)(a) Provider of programme broadcasting or including programme in programme service (acts intended to stir up religious hatred) Public Order Act 1986 S.29F(1) and (2)(b) Producer or Directorate of programme broadcasting or including programme in programme service (acts intended 10 stir up religious hatred) Public Order Act 1986 S.29F(1)(2)(c) Person using offending words or behaviour-broadcasting or including programme in programme service (acts intended to stir up religious hatred) Public Order Act 1986 S.29G Possessing inflammatory material (acts intended to stir up religious hatred) (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Smuggling: Wildlife

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she expects the UK border police force to take steps to reduce the level of smuggling and illegal trade in wildlife under her proposals for that police force.

Nick Herbert: The Coalition programme for government includes a commitment to establish a border police force to enhance national security, improve immigration controls and crack down on the trafficking of people, wildlife, weapons and drugs.

Terrorism: Legislation

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who she plans to consult as part of the review of anti-terror legislation.

Nick Herbert: The arrangements for the review of counter-terrorism and security powers were announced to Parliament on 13 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 797-809.
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made clear in that announcement that the Government want the review to be conducted as openly and as transparently as possible. Independent oversight of the review will be provided by Lord Macdonald of River Glaven who will ensure that the review is properly conducted, that all the relevant options have been considered and that the recommendations of the review are fair and balanced.
	We have also asked Liberty to contribute to the review and are similarly keen to involve civil liberty, human rights, law and community organisations from across the United Kingdom. The review will be conducted by the Home Office with the full involvement of the police, security and intelligence agencies and other Government Departments including those in Scotland and Northern Ireland. We would also welcome anyone with an interest to submit their views to the Home Office. Contributions to the review should be sent to:
	david.ford@homeoffice.x.gsi.gov.uk

Terrorism: Legislation

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral statement of 8 June 2010, on the Terrorism Act 2000 (Section 44), what discussions she has had with  (a) the Police Service of Northern Ireland,  (b) the Association of Chief Police Officers and  (c) the Metropolitan Police Service on the content of her Statement prior to its delivery.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 13 July 2010
	 Home Office Ministers and officials acting on their behalf discussed the approach to section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in the light of the European Court of Human Rights' judgment with the Police Service for Northern Ireland, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Metropolitan Police Service. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary also spoke to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Those discussions informed the content of the statement delivered by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 8 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 540-48.

Vetting

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects her review of the vetting and barring scheme to report.

Theresa May: holding answer 8 September 2010
	A further announcement on the terms of reference for the review is expected shortly. It is anticipated that the review will report by December 2010.

Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make an assessment of the likely effects on Wales of her Department's planned spending reductions.

Nick Herbert: No departmental expenditure limits (DELs) have yet been set for the years after 2010-11. DELs for the four years from 2011-12 will be set in the spending review on 20 October 2010.
	With regard to the impact of the planned spending reductions in 2010-11 on Wales, I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 23 June 2010,  Official Report, column 229W.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Climate Change

Alan Haselhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to respond to the December 2009 report of the Committee on Climate Change on meeting the UK Aviation Target.

Theresa Villiers: I refer my right hon. Friend to my answer of 8 July 2010,  Official Report, column 370W.

Bus Services: Concessions

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future provision of funding by his Department for concessionary bus travel for  (a) pensioners,  (b) disabled people and  (c) young people.

Norman Baker: The Government's commitment to protect key benefits for older people, such as free bus travel, is set out in the Coalition Agreement. The Government are looking to make further savings in the scheme through administrative and reimbursement reform, which will be considered as part of the spending review.
	The Department for Transport has no current plans to provide funding for concessionary bus travel for young people though it remains open to individual local authorities to make local provision if they wish to do so.

Cycling

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the development of cycle hubs at each of the 10 railway stations for which they are planned.

Theresa Villiers: The first of the 10 planned cycle hubs opened in Leeds on a trial basis on 18 August 2010. The 'CyclePoint' will officially open for business on 27 September 2010.
	The Cycle-Rail Integration Task Force has been assessing the remaining nine cycle hub locations. They have been considering likely levels of usage and the arrangements to be made at different sized locations. The further implementation of plans is dependent on the outcome of the spending review.

Cycling: Business

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employers have participated in the cycle to work scheme in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales and  (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of employers participating in the Cycle to Work scheme. The scheme is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

Departmental Fines

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each such year.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport's staff are personally liable for any transport related fines that they may incur; the Department would only settle such a fine in the most exceptional circumstances.

Driving: Safety

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met representatives of the Institute of Advanced Motorists to discuss the contribution to road safety of continuous post-test training for all road users; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: I met Institute of Advanced Motorists to talk about various aspects of driver training in July. The Driving Standards Agency also has a long-standing working relationship with them in connection with their advanced driving products.

Electric Vehicles

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment of the impact on the electric powered vehicles market of the level and quantity of subsidies set by his Department for the purchase of such vehicles, as compared with the plans of the previous Government, was undertaken prior to their announcement.

Norman Baker: On 28 July, the Secretary of State confirmed that the plug-in car grant would go ahead from January 2011, providing subsidy for qualifying ultra-low emission vehicles of 25% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £5,000.
	The Secretary of State considered a range of evidence before concluding that there is a clear case for supporting the early market in ultra-low emission vehicles. This will deliver a number of strategic benefits to the UK interest: ensuring that we make meaningful reductions in emissions from road transport; supporting growth and job-creation in the green economy; and strengthening our position in relation to security of energy supply.
	The level of the subsidy will be reviewed regularly to ensure that the UK remains competitive and taxpayers get value for money. The first review will be in January 2012, at which point the level will be set for subsequent years.

Electric Vehicles

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which criteria will be used in the review of the subsidies for the sale of electric powered vehicles announced by his Department in July 2010.

Norman Baker: On 28 July, the Secretary of State for Transport confirmed that motorists will receive up to £5,000 towards the purchase of an ultra-low carbon car from January 2011.
	The grant is confirmed as 25% of the value of the car up to a maximum of £5,000 up to the end of March 2012. A commitment beyond 2011-12 has not yet been made and decisions around future funding will be confirmed as part of the Spending Review.
	The level of incentive will be reviewed regularly to ensure that the UK remains competitive and taxpayers get value for money. The first review will be in January 2012, after which point the level will be set for subsequent years. Criteria to be used in this review have not yet been set, however, a number of factors will be taken into account, such as the cost of vehicles and the development of the early market.

Electric Vehicles

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is the policy of his Department to install  (a) up to 2,500 plug-in points for use by electric powered vehicles by April 2011 and  (b) up to 11,000 points over the next three years via the plug-in places scheme.

Norman Baker: On 28 July 2010, the coalition Government confirmed that the plugged-in places electric vehicle infrastructure programme would continue. The £8.8 million awarded to London, Milton Keynes and the North East for this financial year to support their plans to install up to 2,500 charge points remains available.
	Funding for a second round of projects will be determined subject to the outcome of the Spending Review. The number of charge points installed over the life of the programme will depend upon the number and size of projects successful in any second round of funding.

Heathrow Airport

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether the Noise Action Plan for Heathrow Airport will include a 55dB(A) Lden noise level target;
	(2)  whether the European Commission has agreed that the Noise Action Plan for Heathrow Airport does not have to be revised until 2015;
	(3)  when he plans to publish the Noise Action Plan for Heathrow Airport.

Theresa Villiers: Following submission of Heathrow airport's draft noise action plan, officials from both the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) met with airport representatives to discuss the draft. As a result, Heathrow airport is currently preparing a revised plan for further consideration. Once the plan has been formally adopted by Government, it will be published on both DEFRA's and the airport's website by the end of 2010.
	The Noise Action Plans are required by EC law to cover a five-year period. The scope for the second stage of implementation of EC directive 2002/49 (the environmental noise directive) has yet to be determined.
	Major airports in England have been encouraged to include an annual review as part of their plan rather than reviewing the plan after five years. In the case of Heathrow, the airport is also proposing to make the plan subject to independent audit.
	Airports were required to produce strategic noise maps covering a range of metrics including Lden. While the directive requires airports to include provisions for evaluating the effect of actions proposed in the plan, there is no specific requirement for an Lden target. However Heathrow, in common with other airports, is understood to be considering the use of annual and forecast noise contours as an evaluation measure.

London Airports: Night Flying

Alan Haselhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what timescale he has set for his Department's consultation on the night flying restrictions for Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted for the period 2012 to 2017;
	(2)  whether the night flying restrictions for Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted for the period 2012 to 2017 will include measures to reduce the effects of night noise on local communities in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation.

Theresa Villiers: There have been restrictions on night flights at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted for many years. The Government fully recognise the importance of the protections afforded by these restrictions for communities affected by airport noise. The restrictions are subject to periodic review. The current regime introduced in June 2006 runs until October 2012. An announcement about the scope of proposals for post 2012 arrangements will be made in due course.

London Airports: Night Flying

Alan Haselhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider the merits of adding Luton to the controlled night noise regime for London airports by making it a designated airport.

Theresa Villiers: The Government fully recognise the importance of the need to protect communities affected by aircraft noise. Noise control measures including restrictions on night flights at the three London strategic airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted) have been in place for many years. Elsewhere we believe that airports should engage actively with their communities in determining what noise control measures provide the right local solution. This process has recently been strengthened by the requirement for airports to develop and publish noise action plans in consultation with communities living around airports. These plans and the associated consultation process will play a central role in ensuring that airports mitigate against noise at a local level.

Network Rail: Lincoln

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have had with Network Rail on measures to mitigate the effect of increased level crossing closures on Lincoln High Street through funding of (i) a replacement pedestrian footbridge and (ii) the proposed east-west relief road.

Theresa Villiers: Department for Transport Ministers and officials communicate regularly with Network Rail. The operation of the level crossing on Lincoln high street is an operational matter for Network Rail.
	Network Rail has advised Department for Transport officials that the company is aware that current proposals to increase freight capacity through Lincoln will have an impact on the level crossing. I have been informed that Network Rail is working closely with Lincolnshire county council on this issue and will continue to work with all parties to achieve an appropriate solution.

Official Cars

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the last spot check was made on Ministerial cars running their engines for heating or cooling purposes on the Parliamentary Estate; and what the findings of this spot check were.

Michael Penning: The Government Car and Despatch Agency reminds its drivers regularly, through internal notices, that it is unacceptable to park on the parliamentary estate with their engines running. However, spot checks are not carried out.

Road Traffic

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the cost of traffic congestion to business.

Norman Baker: The 2006 Eddington Study estimated the costs imposed by congestion to business and other travellers, using the Department for Transport's National Transport Model. It was found that the direct costs to business of congestion in England were approximately £7 billion (in 2003, at 2002 prices). This figure is based on the difference between the actual time taken to make a journey and the time that would be taken under theoretical 'free- flow' conditions. It does not necessarily represent the net benefit that would result from removing congestion.
	The study report is available at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/transportstrategy/eddingtonstudy/researchannexes/

South Eastern Trains: Correspondence

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to reply to South Eastern Trains' inquiry regarding franchise conditions and the partial closure of the platform 4 exit at Lewisham station.

Theresa Villiers: Southeastern submitted a modification proposal relating to the permanent closure of the platform 4 entrance at Lewisham station during July 2009. The company subsequently withdrew their proposal stating they would submit a new one once the Access for All Scheme major improvements and the station gating scheme at Lewisham station were completed. No further proposal has yet been received.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the removal of static road safety camera shells since 12 May 2010;
	(2)  what his policy is on the use of road safety cameras.

Michael Penning: holding answer 6 September 2010
	The Coalition's programme for government made a commitment to:
	'stop central Government funding for new fixed speed cameras and switch to more effective ways of making our roads safer'.
	On 24 June I wrote to all local authorities in England and Wales explaining how I planned to implement this policy, and the Government's wider position on speed enforcement. My letter and the programme for government are both available in the Libraries of the House.
	Local authorities remain free to fund current and future camera operations from their own resources, if they believe that this approach delivers safety improvements in the most effective way.
	Camera operations will have a continuing role, but we want to see authorities considering the potential of the full range of local road safety interventions, including educational and engineering solutions.
	No guidance has been issued to local authorities on the removal of static road safety camera shells since 12 May 2010.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Cereals: Prices

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of  (a) the level of global grain prices and  (b) its implications for his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The international wheat price has increased in recent weeks due to supply fears following poor harvests in southern Russia and Ukraine. It now stands at around $250 a tonne. The price of maize has also risen recently. The price of rice has come down lately following good harvests in major supplier countries.
	The poor wheat harvest in southern Russia and Ukraine will only reduce global production by about 3%. World stocks of the main cereals commodities remain healthy, and the international prices of wheat and maize should reflect these conditions as markets adjust to these underlying factors.
	The Department for International Development is working to increase global food security by helping to improve sustainable agricultural production in developing countries, and by seeking to raise the incomes of the poorest and most vulnerable people. We will continue to support humanitarian operations in those countries in greatest need. At the same time, we are working to make the international trading system function more effectively, to enable shortfalls in one region to be balanced by surpluses in others.

China: Sustainable Development

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the continuation of the UK-China Sustainable Development Dialogue after 2011.

James Paice: I have been asked to reply.
	We will be considering our future approach to the Sustainable Development Dialogue with China once the result of the Government's spending review is known. This will involve considering options for future engagement that offer best value for money and are in line with broader Government objectives for relations with emerging powers such as China.

Developing Countries: Malaria

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to reduce malaria mortality in countries where there is limited access to health workers.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for international Development (DFID) is currently developing its plans on how best to tackle malaria mortality in high burden countries. DFID will focus on increasing the use of interventions which work for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria, and will work to ensure that coverage extends to the most vulnerable, especially through prevention services like insecticide treated bednets.
	We want to ensure that our impact is sustainable by strengthening health services and national capacity to deliver malaria interventions. As a component of this health systems strengthening, DFID funding supports the training and deployment of health care workers through our bilateral programmes, direct support to national health plans of partner countries, and our funding to multilateral organisations and global funding instruments such as the World Bank, and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Developing Countries: Maternity Services

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which  (a) countries and  (b) regions his Department's maternal and newborn health programme aims to reach marginalised populations.

Stephen O'Brien: Improving reproductive, maternal and newborn health programmes are major priorities for the Coalition Government and are central to the Bilateral and Multilateral Aid Reviews currently under way. These reviews are due to report in early 2011 and they will inform our decisions on all future health programmes at both country and regional level.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is also developing a new business plan for reproductive, maternal and newborn health. A 12-week public consultation, to invite views on where DFID should be concentrating its efforts, ends on 20 October.

Food Supply

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the level of security of global food supplies; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: At a global level, physical supplies of all the main cereals remain secure. 2010 is likely to produce the world's third largest cereals harvest ever. Food stocks, following two years of excellent harvests, remain high, at around 23% of annual consumption.
	This summer's drought in Russia and Ukraine has significantly reduced the size of the harvest there, but this is only likely to reduce global wheat production by about 3% compared with earlier forecasts. The international price of wheat has risen steeply since June, reflecting current market concerns about possible shortfalls. Our assessment is that the price should adjust over the autumn as this summer's cereals crop is harvested.
	We shall continue to monitor the situation carefully, and encourage national governments to liberalise trade in agricultural commodities to enable shortfalls in one region to be balanced by surpluses in others. As part of the G20, we will also discourage governments from imposing export bans and from panic buying, actions which exacerbate price volatility.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

Rory Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has provided to Pakistan in the last 12 months.

Stephen O'Brien: In the last 12 months, the Department for International Development (DFID) has provided aid to Pakistan to help put more children into school, improve macroeconomic stability, and support the efficient and effective delivery of basic services, resulting, in the previous financial year DFID providing £140 million worth of aid to Pakistan.
	In the last six weeks, the UK has played a leading role in the international response to the devastating flooding in Pakistan. Our humanitarian aid is helping to support:
	shelter for more than 80,290 people;
	high energy food supplements for half a million malnourished women and children;
	safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for 800,000;
	five RAF flights to take urgent supplies into Pakistan and six charter flights;
	10 bridges are on a ship from the UK and are scheduled to arrive in Karachi in mid-September.
	The UK humanitarian commitment totals £64 million.

UN Development Funds

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the UK's  (a) assessed and  (b) voluntary (i) core and (ii) additional financial contributions were to UNIFEM in each of the last three financial years.

Stephen O'Brien: Contributions to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) are not assessed and the contributions of all Governments are voluntary. The UK's core and additional financial contributions to UNIFEM in the last three calendar years were as follows.
	
		
			  $ 
			   Core funding( 1)  Additional financial contributions  Total 
			 2007 6,085,000 6,301,000 12,387,000 
			 2008 5,217,000 4,338,000 9,555,000 
			 2009 4,800,000 1,851,000 6,651,000 
			 (1) UK core funding for UNIFEM was £3 million for each of the three years. Differences between the above figures in US dollars reflect changes in the exchange rate.  Source: UNIFEM's annual report 2007, 2008 and 2009.

UN Development Funds

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the UK's  (a) assessed, and  (b) voluntary (i) core and (ii) additional financial contributions were to UNICEF in each of the last three financial years.

Stephen O'Brien: Contributions to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) are not assessed and the contributions of all Governments are voluntary. The UK's core and additional financial contributions to UNICEF in the last three calendar years were as follows.
	
		
			  $ million 
			   Core funding( 1)  Additional financial contributions  Total 
			 2007 42 l53 195 
			 2008 38 175 213 
			 2009 34 148 182 
			 (1) UK core funding for UNICEF was £21 million for each of the three years. Differences between the above figures in US dollars reflect changes in the exchange rate.  Source: UNICEF audited accounts 2007. 2008, 2009.

DEFENCE

Animal Experiments

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to reduce the number of animals used in experiments by his Department.

Peter Luff: The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) at Porton Down undertakes the animal research conducted within the Ministry of Defence. Part of the remit of Dstl Porton Down is to provide safe effective countermeasures for the UK and its armed forces and to develop medical and surgical techniques to enhance the treatment of battlefield casualties and save lives.
	The research involving the use of animals is only one small aspect of a much wider research programme and animal studies are only ever undertaken if there is no viable alternative. Dstl Porton Down operates a continuous policy in accordance with the principles of the 3 R's (replacement, reduction and refinement) and has an active programme to increase the implementation of the 3 R's by exploring the use of non-living models in order to reduce the requirement for animal experimentation. Accordingly, tissue and cell cultures, physical or computer-based modelling, are used wherever possible and commensurate with good practice. Dstl continues to actively develop and further investigate the use of non-living models to reduce the requirement for animal studies. However, where these alternatives are considered inadequate as a means of predicting the overall human response, experiments on animals will continue to be necessary.

Armed Forces: Empty Housing

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of maintaining empty service accommodation in each of the last five years; and what the Cost to the public purse was of dilapidation and remedial costs on such properties in that period.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 13 September 2010
	The total maintenance, dilapidation and remedial costs for all empty accommodation are not separately identifiable from that for occupied accommodation.
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently rents some 41,000 Service Family Accommodation properties in England and Wales from Annington Homes Ltd (AHL). Under the terms of the agreement with AHL, when no longer required by the MOD properties must be returned in good tenantable repair or the Department has to pay compensation in the form of a dilapidation charge.
	Total dilapidation payments to AHL in each of the last five financial years were:
	
		
			  Financial year  Dilapidation payment (£ million)  Properties handed back 
			 2005-06 3.7 670 
			 2006-07 1.4 303 
			 2007-08 3.0 460 
			 2008-09 3.7 480 
			 2009-10 4.6 722 
		
	
	United Kingdom Support Command manages 13,000 German Federal SFA Properties and some 5,000 leased properties located in Germany.
	The costs attributed to dilapidations in empty accommodation in Germany are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Dilapidation payment (Euro)  Properties handed back 
			 2005-06 37,000 325 
			 2006-07 574,000 499 
			 2007-08 269,000 655 
			 2008-09 271,000 1,349 
			 2009-10 12,000 218 
		
	
	It is not possible to separate cost for the maintenance of empty service accommodation on the Overseas Permanent Joint Operating Bases from that of occupied accommodation.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when he expects to let the contract for the first batch of light protected patrol vehicles;
	(2)  whether the Government plan to proceed with the planned contract for the second batch of light protected patrol vehicles; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when he expects the first batch of light protected patrol vehicles to be delivered to theatre.

Peter Luff: holding answer 13 September 2010
	The Ministry of Defence expects to be in a position to place a contract for the first batch of light protected patrol vehicle (LPPV) in the coming weeks. While milestones such as delivery dates will be subject to agreement with the contractor, we expect the first vehicles to be delivered to training in late 2011, with deliveries to operations in 2012. Any further buys of LPPV will be subject to the confirmation of our wider requirement, which is being assessed in the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what intervals the Atomic Weapons Establishment's Nuclear Safety Committee met in the last 12 months; and what the names are of the committee members.

Peter Luff: Meetings of the Atomic Weapons Establishment's Nuclear Safety Committee are held on a monthly basis. Additional meetings are held as required in response to business requirements, but no such meetings have been required in the last 12 months.
	With regard to the names of the committee members, I will write to the hon. Member shortly.
	 Substantive answer from Peter Luff to Caroline Lucas:
	I undertook on 23 June 2010,  Official Report, column 234W to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question asking for the names of the members of the Atomic Weapons Establishment's (AWE) Nuclear Safety Committee. I apologise for the length of time it, has taken to respond.
	The committee is chaired by the AWE Chief Executive Officer, Mr R McGill. The other AWE members are:
	Mrs H Young - (Deputy Chair) Director Environment, Safety and Health.
	Dr A Jupp - Director Infrastructure Programme.
	Mr R Tinsley - Director Operations.
	Dr G Nicholson - Director Science and Technology.
	Dr R Irvin - Director Major Projects.
	Dr D Landeg - Warhead Safety.
	Mr M Hedges - Engineering.
	Mr J West - Warhead Design.
	Mr G Beard - Environment.
	The committee's membership also includes independent external safety specialists. I am withholding the names of these individuals as this is considered to be personal information.
	In my answer, I stated that no additional meetings of the committee had been required in the last 12 months. When the answer was prepared, that was indeed the case. AWE has now indicated, however, that an additional meeting of the committee took place on 14 June; the purpose of this meeting was to provide a more detailed independent review of one of AWE's operational processes. As a result, the answer published on 23 June was incorrect. I must also apologise for this inadvertent error.

Defence Equipment

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the significance for the UK economy of  (a) defence exports and  (b) the UK's defence manufacturing capability.

Peter Luff: We recognise the important contribution made to the UK economy and specifically to manufacturing industry by companies supplying the defence sector. The UK was the second most successful global exporter in 2009, with new defence export orders of over £7 billion. We aim to publish a White Paper in spring 2011 setting out MOD's industrial and technology policy for the next five years.

Defence: Research

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) Radar Additional Study and  (b) Data Transport Study.

Peter Luff: holding answer 13 September 2010
	Both the Radar Additional and the Data Transport Studies contain information that is considered to be sensitive, both in terms of national security and to the commercial interests of the Ministry of Defence. I am, therefore, withholding both documents while work is being carried out to review them and produce versions that can be released without prejudicing those interests. This work is expected to be completed by the end of this month, when copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

Departmental Billing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many payments to suppliers were made by  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies (i) within 30 days of, (ii) over 30 days after, (iii) over 60 days after and (iv) over 90 days after the date of invoice in the latest period for which figures are available.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence measures its payment performance by the number of invoices paid against the Government's prompt payment initiative and against commercial debt legislation. The legislation requires correctly presented invoices to be paid within 30 calendar days from the date of invoice or date of delivery of goods or services, whichever is the later. The Department does not collate this information against organisational subunits other than trading fund agencies and is therefore unable to break this performance down without disproportionate cost. On this basis the commercial debt performance for August 2010 for the periods specified was:
	
		
			  MOD  Number 
			 Within 30 days 372,065 
			 Over 30 days 1,799 
			 Over 60 days 722 
			 Over 90 days 398

Departmental Contracts

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to how many contracts under the private finance initiative  (a) his Department is and  (b) its agencies are party; how much was spent on such contracts in each year since 2005; and what the (i) name and (ii) monetary value is of each such contract worth over £1 million a year.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (including its agencies) has entered into 54 PFI projects, of which 45 are still operating.
	Details of the monetary value and spending on these projects is already in the public domain and can be found on the HM Treasury website at the following link:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_pfi_stats.htm

Departmental Contracts

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to how many contracts not under the private finance initiative  (a) his Department is and  (b) its agencies are party; how much was spent on such contracts in each year since 2005; what the (i) name and (ii) monetary value is of each such contract worth over £1 million a year; and whether any such contracts have been terminated before the end date originally specified in the contract during the last 12 months.

Peter Luff: The total number of contracts that appear on the Ministry of Defence's Financial Management Shared Service Centre (FMSSC) database at the end of each financial year; the total payments made against those contracts during that financial year; the number of contracts that are valued at over £1 million; and the number of contracts where spending of over £1 million was recorded in that financial year, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of contracts on database( 1)  Total payments against these contracts (£ million)  Number of contracts valued at over £1 million  Number of contracts where over £1 million paid 
			 2005-06 42,952 13,483 6,771 1,521 
			 2006-07 31,376 14,048 5,952 1,437 
			 2007-08 43,974 15,676 7,205 1,467 
			 2008-09 33,943 17,323 6,149 1,580 
			 2009-10 33,961 18,160 6,297 1,540 
			 (1) These figures do not include miscellaneous contracts or PFI contracts  Note: Many contracts will appear in more than one year 
		
	
	MOD are unable to provide all the information requested, as it is not held centrally and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Future Large Aircraft

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent assessment is of progress in the delivery of the A400M military transport aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: holding answer 13 September 2010
	In November 2008 EADS/Airbus Military announced difficulties in proceeding with the programme as contracted, proposed a new way ahead and announced that they wished to discuss details of the A400M programme with Partner Nations.
	In April 2009 the UK joined other Partner Nations in a "standstill" agreement with Airbus Military. This enabled a period of discussions on options and possible outcomes for the A400M programme to take place whilst the rights of all parties under the existing contract were protected. Discussions continued throughout the remainder of 2009 and into 2010, culminating in agreement in principle on the future of the A400M programme being reached in March of this year.
	Non-legally binding Heads of Terms signed at this time with Airbus Military by the European armaments agency OCCAR acting on behalf of Partner Nations are intended to form the basis of an amended contract. Subject to agreement of the amended contract, the UK off-take will be reduced by no more than three aircraft to a total fleet of 22 A400M. As intensive discussions on the details of the amended contract are ongoing, I am unable to provide any further information at present, save that we expect it to be concluded later this year.
	Over this period positive achievements have included the first flight of the A400M prototype in Seville on 11 December 2009. The second prototype made its maiden flight on 8 April 2010 and the third on 9 July 2010. All three aircraft are now involved in the flight trials programme which is progressing to target with over 575 flying hours achieved to date.

Gibraltar: Armed Forces

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many children of British military personnel who are  (a) under 10-years-old and  (b) between 10 and 18-years-old are being educated in Gibraltar.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently educating 91 children under 10-years-old and 25 children between the ages of 10 and 18 in its schools in Gibraltar. It is not possible to split these numbers between children of military personnel and those of UK-based civilians. Not all parents choose to educate their children within the MOD school system.
	The schools also educate the children of MOD contractors and some local community children on a fee-paying basis. In addition to the numbers above there are currently two children under 10-years-old and one child aged between 10 and 18 being educated on this basis.

Hebrides Missile Range

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pairs of fibre-optic cables his Department has between Hebrides Range and the mainland of Scotland.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence has no fibre optic cables running between the Hebrides Range and the mainland of Scotland.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent reports he has received on the progress of the Iraqi authorities in apprehending those responsible for the deaths of six Royal Military Police Officers from Colchester at Majar al-Kabir in June 2003.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 13 September 2010
	The Ministry of Defence receives formal weekly reports from officials in Baghdad providing updates on key developments in the criminal investigation into the murders of the six Royal Military Policemen in Iraq.
	We were recently informed that the Iraqi Investigative Judge has indicated that a case against two of the seven suspects detained in Iraqi custody should be referred to trial at the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. Dates for these trials have yet to be set. Five suspects are no longer suspected of having any involvement and we have received confirmation that they have been released.
	Additionally, there are seven outstanding arrest warrants being actively pursued.
	I have written twice to the families in recent weeks. My officials are in regular contact with the soldiers' families and communicate all significant developments directly to them. As soon as we have confirmation of a trial date or of any arrests against the outstanding warrants, families will be notified.

Lynx Helicopters

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the Future Lynx/Wildcat project; and to what expenditure on the project it is contractually committed.

Peter Luff: holding answer 13 September 2010
	As at 31 August 2010 the contracted value of the Lynx Wildcat Design and Manufacture contract and supporting contracts is some £1.4 billion, of which about £560 million has been spent to date.

Military Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of each flight hour of the (a) Tornado GR4,  (b) Typhoon F2,  (c) Harrier GR7,  (d) Tornado F3 and  (e) Harrier GR9.

Peter Luff: The estimated average full cost per funded flying hour is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Aircraft  Cost, financial year 2010-11 (£/hour) 
			 Tornado GR4 35,000 
			 Typhoon FGR4 (previously known as F2) 70,000 
			 Harrier GR7/GR9 37,000 
			 Tornado F3 43,000 
		
	
	These figures include forward and depth servicing, fuel costs, crew costs, training costs, cost of capital charge, depreciation and amortisation. The Typhoon cost per flying hour reflects the build up of the fleet with smaller numbers of aircraft currently in service; this cost is expected to reduce significantly over the in-service life of the aircraft.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether research and development into bio-technology  (a) defence counter-measures and  (b) offensive measures are included in the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Peter Luff: The UK's total defence science and technology requirement is being considered in Strategic Defence and Security Review. The UK does not have an offensive chemical or biological weapons programme.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what account he is taking of the likely effects on the manufacturing industry in the North West of changes in expenditure on defence contracts in the conduct of the Strategic Defence and Security Review;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the manufacturing and aerospace industries in the North West of proposed reductions in defence spending.

Peter Luff: We recognise the major contribution made to UK defence by industry throughout the north-west of England. The Strategic Defence and Security Review is still under way and therefore it would be premature to speculate about the impact of future levels of expenditure on defence contracts.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Regulation

Rory Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals she has for the reduction of the regulatory burden on the agricultural industry; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: We are very aware of the need to reduce burdens on farmers, increase competitiveness and trust in business and maintain standards. The Task Force on Farm Regulation, appointed in July, will consider how to reduce regulatory burdens, deliver risk-based and integrated compliance and inspection. It will consider all regulation that bears on farmers, and has started a wide consultation to understand which issues cause farmers most concern.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how long on average it took to process a Single Farm Payment claim in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: The complexity of the single payment scheme (SPS) and system processes in place to validate claims in accordance to the Commission regulations, means that it is not possible to provide a meaningful assessment of the average time to process a claim.
	The regulatory payment window runs from 1 December to 30 June. The Rural Payments Agency paid 85% of customers by the end of December 2009. A further 9% were paid by the end of March 2010 and all but 300 customers had received some form of payment by the 30 June, the end of the payment window.
	The estimated total claimant population for 2009 was 107,500. A number of applications resulted in no payment being due. This situation arises where, for example, customers hold entitlements for the wrong area type, have submitted duplicate claim forms or will receive payments from the devolved Administrations.

Bats: Licensing

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the average cost per application of obtaining the expert advice required to support an application for a bat licence.

Richard Benyon: Neither DEFRA nor Natural England collate this information therefore an accurate average cost figure cannot be produced. The costs of obtaining expert advice to support a European protected species licence application may vary considerably according to the specifics of each site and proposal and will to a large extent be dictated by market forces.
	Natural England provides general species advice and guidance to a range of customers and operates the licensing service for European protected species. Costs may be incurred when employing the services of a professional consultant adviser to provide the evidence needed to meet both planning and licensing requirements.

Bats: Nature Conservation

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what responsibilities her Department has for protection of bats; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The European Habitats Directive places member states under an obligation to ensure that species listed in annex IV to the directive are given strict legal protection and this includes all species of bats. All public bodies are also under a general legal obligation to have regard to the requirements of the Habitats Directive in the exercise of their functions by virtue of regulation 9(1) of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010. Measures taken to comply with these obligations can take many forms dependent on the individual circumstances of the case in question, and the extent of any feasible or necessary measures will very much depend on the degree of harm to the species that is foreseen.
	The UK is a party to the Agreement on the Conservation of European Bats (the Eurobats Agreement) which promotes their protection internationally. In addition the Joint Nature Conservation Committee contributes to the National Bat Monitoring Programme, and Natural England carries out work to protect bats.

Bats: Nature Conservation

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on protection of bats in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The UK is a party to the Agreement on the Conservation of European Bats (the Eurobats Agreement) which promotes their protection internationally and for which the UK subscription in 2010 was £64,266. In addition the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) contributed £87,000 to the National Bat Monitoring Programme in 2009-10. Natural England estimates that it has spent approximately £350,000 on work to protect bats in 2009-10.

Biofuels

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the European Commission's proposal to establish a mandatory separated collection system for bio-waste as referred to in the Green Paper on management of biowaste in the EU (2009/2153(INI)).

Richard Benyon: The Government believe that local authorities, working with local communities, are best placed to decide on the most appropriate options for waste management, including collection. For example, there are differences in what suits urban areas compared to suburban or rural areas in terms of the most appropriate waste collection types and frequencies.
	The Review of Waste Policy announced in June will look at policies surrounding bio-waste, to see what can be done to reduce further the amount that ends up in landfill.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of cattle affected with bovine tuberculosis which have been slaughtered in each of the last five years; and what estimate she has made of the monetary value of compensation awarded to farmers in respect of livestock so slaughtered.

James Paice: The number of cattle slaughtered in England under bovine tuberculosis control measures, either as test reactors or direct contacts, and the amount of compensation paid in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of cattle slaughtered( 1)  Compensation paid (£million)(  2) 
			 2009 25,557 30.6 
			 2008 27,455 28.6 
			 2007 19,794 13.6 
			 2006 16,007 16.3 
			 2005 23,135 31.4 
			 (1) VetNet - Animal Health database (2) DEFRA Oracle Financial system  Note: All figures are subject to change as more data becomes available.

Climate Change

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to promote the use of supplementary Green Book guidance on accounting for the effects of climate change in the development, appraisal and evaluation of policies, programmes and projects in Government Departments.

Richard Benyon: The Government want to ensure the supplementary guidance is fully used by public sector bodies, including Government Departments, in making investment decisions, particularly for major long-term investments.
	DEFRA has already taken a number of steps to promote the use of this guidance. The Treasury hosted a Government Economic Service conference in March 2010 to raise awareness among those responsible for policy development and appraisal. All departmental chief economists have been asked to promote the guidance. It has been downloaded over 20,000 times from DEFRA's website since it was put in place in 2009, and 13 Departments reference to it in their Departmental Adaptation Plans. We intend to evaluate the impact of the guidance in the coming year and continue to promote its use.

Dangerous Dogs

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on dangerous dogs.

James Paice: Regular discussions take place at official level as DEFRA is represented on the Home Office's Antisocial Behaviour Steering Group whose remit includes dangerous dogs.

Dangerous Dogs

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many respondents to her Department's consultation on dangerous dogs supported the introduction of mandatory permanent identification as a means of promoting responsible dog ownership.

James Paice: DEFRA is not yet in a position to publish the summary of responses to the consultation on dangerous dogs.

Departmental Fines

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many transport-related fines her Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each year.

Richard Benyon: The Department does not expect to pay such fines; these would be the responsibility of the person who committed the offence.

Departmental Furniture

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many chairs her Department and its predecessor purchased in each year since 1997; how much was spent in each such year; and what the five most expensive chairs purchased in each such year were.

Richard Benyon: The information requested is tabled as follows.
	
		
			   Chair description  Number purchased  Individual cost of item purchased (£)  Total spend (£) 
			 2003 Task Chair 80 83 6,640 
			 2004 Task Chair 87 224 - 
			  Orthopaedic Chair 11 522 - 
			  Meeting Chair 330 181 - 
			  Reclining Chair 1 349 - 
			  2 Seater Sofa 17 1,506 185,440 
			  
			 2005 Task Chair 535 251 - 
			  Meeting Chair 754 275 - 
			  Tall Kitchen Chair 50 221 - 
			  Breakout Chair 86 120 - 
			  2 Seater Sofa 4 1,327 - 
			  Reclining Chair 1 1,175 282,510 
			  
			 2006 Meeting Chair 36 220 - 
			  Orthopaedic Chair 1 545 6,214 
			  
			 2007 - - - - 
			  
			 2008 Tall Kitchen Chair 27 221 - 
			  Breakout Chairs 24 292 13,089 
			  
			 2009 Reception Chairs 10 450 - 
			  Task Chair 9 102 - 
			  Tall Kitchen Chair 2 241 - 
			  Sofa 3 1,100 10,936 
			  
			 2010 Task Chair 126 174 - 
			  Meeting Chair 72 190 - 
			  Breakout Chair 28 412 - 
			  Orthopaedic Chair 1 788 42,332

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in her Department in July 2010.

Richard Benyon: Ministers hosted one event in July 2010 at which hospitality was provided for a total cost of £27.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to tackle the trade in puppy and farmed dogs; and whether she plans to bring forward proposals to ban the sale of puppies in pet shops.

James Paice: I consider that the existing legislation provides the necessary protection for the welfare of dogs, including the commercial breeding and selling of dogs, which is subject to licensing, as well as the more general welfare provisions in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. There are no proposals to ban the sale of puppies from pet shops.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to address the effects on animal welfare of the breeding of pedigree dogs.

James Paice: I consider that the existing legislation on the breeding and sale of dogs provides adequate powers for local authorities to investigate allegations of poor welfare at dog breeding establishments. I also consider that the recent setting up of an independent Dog Advisory Council is a positive step towards protecting the health of pedigree dogs.

Dogs: Animal Welfare

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to amend her Department's Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs to include sections on  (a) dog breeding and  (b) genetic health; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: I am satisfied with the advice about breeding and inherited diseases contained in the existing Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs and therefore have no plans to amend it.

Dogs: Licensing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has had discussions with representatives of the RSPCA on the introduction of an annual dog licence fee of £21.50 to fund dog health and welfare.

James Paice: Lord Henley recently met with the RSPCA to discuss a number of issues affecting animal welfare, including dog licences.

Food Supply

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had on policy to promote British-grown and produced food.

James Paice: Finding ways to enable British farmers to take advantage of the growing demand for local and regional food is a high priority for this Government.
	Over recent months I have held discussions with retailers, producer groups, manufacturers and social enterprise organisations. I welcome retailers' efforts to increase the availability of regional and local food and want to see this develop further so that consumers can choose local and regional food more easily.
	I have also been working in partnership with organisations across the whole food chain to encourage better labelling and greater use of best practice so that consumers find it easier to make informed choices.

Food Supply

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department has identified to be the greatest single threat to the country's food security.

James Paice: An assessment of UK Food Security published in August 2009, and updated in January 2010, shows that the UK enjoys a high level of food security. The assessment does not identify a single greatest threat but analyses a wide range of indicators and evidence for assessing UK food security structured around six themes: global availability; global resource sustainability; UK availability and access UK food chain resilience; food security at household level; and safety and confidence in our food supply.
	It remains one of DEFRA's priorities to ensure a secure, environmentally sustainable and healthy supply of food in the face of future challenges.

Food: Labelling

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take in discussions at EU level to seek to ensure accurate country-of-origin labelling on meat, meat products and dairy products.

James Paice: Existing EU legislation requires mandatory origin labelling for beef, veal and eggs together with poultry meat from third countries, fish, most fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, olive oil and wine. There are new rules on origin labelling currently being discussed in Europe as part a new regulation on food labelling. This will address whether there should be compulsory origin labelling for certain additional foods. We have not ruled out any options at this stage.
	As set out in our structural reform plan, we want to ensure that consumers have confidence in origin claims that are being made. We know that consumers are particularly concerned about meat and dairy products. We are working with the food industry, retailers and others to encourage better labelling, greater compliance with Government best practice guidance and are developing clear principles that can be followed. I have written to key organisations seeking their collaboration in taking this forward.

Greyhound Racing: Licensing

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many greyhound track licences have been issued by local authorities in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many such licences have been conditional on improvements to  (a) track and  (b) kennels.

James Paice: DEFRA does not hold a central record of applications for licences from independent greyhound tracks. Such records are held with individual local authorities.

Lighting: Waste Disposal

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to increase the number of local designated collection facilities for the disposal of low-energy light bulbs.

Richard Benyon: Low energy lamps are subject to the requirements of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations. Retailers selling energy efficient lamps must provide information to the public about where they can take waste lamps and other WEEE for final disposal. Most UK retailers have opted to fund designated collection facilities to discharge their take back obligations under the WEEE regulations, mainly through improvements and upgrades at local authority civic amenity sites.
	There are over 1,100 designated collection facilities in the UK, of which 97% separately collect lighting equipment including all lamps. In addition, some shops take back these lamps in store, and Recolight (the leading producer compliance scheme for lamps approved under the WEEE regulations) is working with a number of retailers to raise awareness of these facilities among consumers and also with business end-users to maximise the collection of such lamps outside the domestic waste stream.
	As part of the Review of Waste Policy announced in June, we will be considering how we can best help communities, businesses and individuals to do the right thing.

Pets: Animal Welfare

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many codes of practice for the keeping of  (a) dogs and  (b) cats have been issued since the enactment of the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

James Paice: A Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs and a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats came into force on 6 April 2010. Both codes are available on the DEFRA website for people to read and download. We have no record of how many copies have been downloaded and printed but the following table shows the number of people each month from January to June 2010 that have visited each of the two codes on the DEFRA website.
	
		
			  2010  Cat  Dog 
			 January 3,762 8,007 
			 February 3,318 8,044 
			 March 4,023 9,558 
			 April 2,762 8,240 
			 May 3,204 8,196 
			 June 3,111 7,952 
			 Total 20,180 49,997

Pets: Animal Welfare

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to introduce regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in respect of pet vending.

James Paice: We have no plans to introduce regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 on pet vending. I am satisfied that the Pet Animals Act 1951 (as amended in 1983) together with the 2006 Act provide adequate protection for the welfare of animals sold as pets.

Recycling: Prices

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate her Department has made of the unit price paid for recycled  (a) glass,  (b) paper,  (c) cardboard,  (d) aluminium,  (e) other metals,  (f) plastics and (g) wood.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold this information. Historical information on prices is available from the Market Knowledge Portal on the Waste and Resources Action Programme's website at:
	www.wrap.org.uk/recycling_industry/market_information/market_knowledge_portal/index.html

Rural Payments Agency: Pay

Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total value of bonuses paid to staff of the Rural Payments Agency was in each year since its inception.

James Paice: holding answer 9 September 2010
	The total value of Non Consolidated Performance Payments paid to staff of the Rural Payments Agency from 2004-05 to 2008-09 is shown in the table.
	It is not possible to provide the data for the years previous to 2004-05 as this is held on a legacy system that it is not possible to interrogate.
	
		
			   A#mount spent (£000) 
			 2004-05 281 
			 2005-06 252 
			 2006-07 302 
			 2007-08 452 
			 2008-09 559 
			 2009-10 464 
		
	
	RPA performance payments are paid to RPA staff working on all aspects of the Agency's work which includes managing and making payments for some 60 schemes, making payments on a further 30 schemes delivered by others, carrying out inspections and operating the British Cattle Movement Service under two reward schemes:
	(a) Staff who have achieved the required performance assessment following the end of year individual performance review. This arrangement is negotiated each year with the TUS; and
	(b) A Special Recognition Scheme was introduced in 2007 and exists to recognise instances of people making additional or outstanding contributions to RPA's work, giving an employee up to £500 for an outstanding performance.
	These figures include Non Consolidated Performance Payments paid to senior civil servants (SCS). The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the SCS is based on recommendations from the independent senior salaries review body.

Supermarkets: Plastic Bags

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of free plastic bags given out by supermarkets in each year since 2005; and what steps she plans to take to encourage supermarkets to reduce the number of free plastic bags they provide for their customers.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA only holds data on those supermarkets which are signatories to the voluntary agreement on reduction of single-use carrier bags. These data are collated by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) as part of the agreement and covers the period 2006 to 2010. As a result of the agreement, the number of bags given out has been dropping considerably over this period:
	
		
			   Number of bags (billion) 
			 2006 10.7 
			 2007 9.7 
			 2008 7.5 
			 2009 6.7 
			 2010 6.1 
		
	
	We will consider how to reduce these numbers yet further as part of our current review of waste policy.

Trees: Diseases

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department plans to take to tackle mature oak disease; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: There are a number of pests and diseases affecting trees and woodland in the United Kingdom. One of these diseases is acute oak decline, which appears to affect mature oaks, especially those over 50 years old.
	As part of the programme of research into pests and diseases affecting trees and plant health, the Forestry Commission is collaborating with experts in other countries to ensure the UK is at the leading edge of research into acute oak decline. The Forestry Commission's research agency, Forest Research, has recently made some significant advances in its understanding of the cause of this disease by identifying bacteria new to science as a potential cause.
	Forest Research has published a practice note: 'Managing Acute Oak Decline'. This offers advice to woodland owners on how to manage the impacts of this disease.

WALES

Devolution: Referendums

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether she has taken advice from the Attorney-General on whether she is required to consult the Electoral Commission on the wording of any new referendum question prior to laying secondary legislation before Parliament pursuant to the Government of Wales Act 2006.

Cheryl Gillan: Advice sought from the Attorney-General is not disclosed outside government. There is a statutory requirement set out in Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 for the Secretary of State to refer the referendum question to the Electoral Commission to assess and report on its intelligibility, before the draft referendum Order is laid before Parliament.
	I informed the House on 9 September 2010 that following discussion with the First Minister, he and I agreed with the Electoral Commission's recommendations to the redraft of the question and preamble made in their report of 2 September 2010.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: St Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty  (a) before and  (b) after housing costs in St Albans constituency in each year since 2000.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	As they are based on survey data, child poverty estimates published in HBAI only allow breakdowns to Government office region and analysis by parliamentary constituency is not possible. However, figures for East of England are set out in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and percentage of children living in households with less than 60% of contemporary median household income for East of England, before housing costs and after housing costs 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			  Period  Number (m illion)  Percentage  Number (m illion)  Percentage 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.2 15 0.3 23 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.2 15 0.3 23 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.2 15 0.3 23 
			 2003-04 to 2005-06 0.2 16 0.3 24 
			 2004-05 to 2006-07 0.2 15 0.3 25 
			 2005-06 to 2007-08 0.2 15 0.3 26 
			 2006-07 to 2008-09 0.2 16 0.3 26 
			  Notes 1. These statistics are based on the Households Below Average Income series, sourced from the Family Resources Survey. 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures are single financial years. Three survey years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication "Households Below Average Income" (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the Households Below Average Income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) modified equivalisation factors. 6. Number of adults and children in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000, while proportions have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP.

Disability Living Allowance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons for changes in the cost to the public purse of administering disability living allowance in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: The information as requested is not available for the last five years.
	There has been no fundamental change in the way DLA is administered in the period in question. However, a number of initiatives to improve process efficiency and reduce direct and indirect costs, including the closure of operating centres, were implemented, as part of a general drive to increase the cost efficiency of PDCS.
	The full costs of administering disability living allowance, the volumes of work and staffing figures for the last two years are in the following table. After adjusting for inflation, costs reduced by 4%. Workloads reduced by 3%. Staffing levels reduced by 7%.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Total costs of administration(1, 2 )(£ million) 198 193 
			 Total costs of administration with adjustment for inflation (£ million) 198 190 
			 Volumes(3) 1,582,000 1,532,000 
			 Staffing(4) 3,965 3,694 
			 (1) Administration cost figures are rounded to the nearest million.  (2) Figures include corporate and shared costs.  (3 )Volumes relates to work undertaken on new and existing claims to DLA, and are rounded to the nearest thousand.  (4) Staffing figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.   Note: Disability living allowance includes new claims and maintenance of existing claims.   Sources:   Costs Department for Work and Pensions based on information in the published PDCS Annual Report and Accounts, and an estimated proportion of the total aggregated costs attributed to disability living allowance.  Volumes Department for Work-Activity Based Management System-PDCS Management Information Statistics.  Staffing figures 2008-09-Disability and Carers Service Dataview 2009-10-Pension, Disability and Carers Service Dataview. 
		
	
	The response to PQ/10/8648 gave the costs of administering DLA for 2009-10 as £163.4 million-a difference of £30 million compared to the figure in the table above. That answer was taken from the DWP Activity Based Management System which does not provide information for previous years. This answer estimates the DLA share of the total PDCS agency from financial data included in the annual report and accounts.
	The accounts use a method of allocating overhead costs controlled outside the agency different to the Activity Based Management System. It is the method of apportioning those indirect overheads that lies behind the different numbers, rather than a change in the estimated costs incurred in the agency of administering DLA.
	The overheads which are excluded in the costs quoted in the answer to PQ/10/8648, and included in this answer in the table above, relate to information technology and cost of capital. In the management information used to answer PQ/10/8648, they were not attributed to the cost of delivering DLA; whereas they were included in the audited accounts. They account for about 90% of the difference. The remaining 10% of the difference relates to timing issues-the data in the financial systems used for the published accounts included the effect of accounting adjustments not included in the management information underpinning the answer to PQ/10/8648.
	Steps are now being taken to ensure complete consistency between the internal management information and the financial information in published agency accounts.

Disability Living Allowance: Cancer

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people diagnosed with cancer receive disability living allowance (DLA); and what his estimate is of the take-up rate for DLA among such people who are eligible for it.

Maria Miller: The following table provides information on cases in payment where the main disabling condition is recorded as malignant disease which includes cancer, carcinoma and leukaemia.
	Estimates of the take-up rate are not available for disability living allowance.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance (in-payment): Main disabling condition: Malignant disease-February 2010 
			   All  Malignant  dis ease 
			 All entitled 3,200,700 88,900 
			 In payment 3,137,700 81,300 
			 Not in payment 63,000 7,600 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Figures are adjusted to be consistent with the overall caseload from the WPLS. 3. The preferred data source for benefit statistics is 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. However, the 5% sample data is generally the preferred source for analysis on disabling condition as information is more complete for disabling condition on the 5% sample (Some recipients of DLA who transferred from the AA system may not have been allocated a specific disabling condition code. This problem can be corrected on the sample data but not on the WPLS data. The number of cases affected is decreasing over time). 4. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to DLA. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. 5. In Payment for DLA shows the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. These cases are shown in the not in payment category.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Sample data (5%)

Housing Benefit: Coastal Areas

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an assessment of the effects of proposed changes to housing benefit rates on the number of claimants moving to seaside towns.

Steve Webb: This information is not available.

Independent Living Fund: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Scottish Executive and  (b) the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the future operation of the Independent Living Fund for residents of Scotland.

Maria Miller: The Scottish Executive was advised of the decision by the Independent Living Fund to close the fund to new applicants in advance of the announcement made on 17 June. Since then the Minister for Disabled People has met with the Scottish Minister for Housing and Communities and a meeting is planned with the Scottish Minister for Public Health and Sport. In addition officials have also been in contact with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and officials in the Scottish Executive.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker's allowance claims have been closed in the last three months; and of them, how many have been re-opened.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, 1 have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many jobseeker's allowance claims have been closed in the last three months; and of them how many have been: re-opened. (14089)
	The number of individuals whose claims ended during the period 8th April to 8th July was 902,160. Of these, 177,680 started a new claim in the same period. These estimates have been derived using data from the Jobcentre Plus 5% cohort. This is a sample of the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.

Poverty: Children

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in workless households in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2004.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many children were living in workless households in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2004. (13384)
	The figures requested come from the Annual Population Survey. (APS) household datasets. These are currently available for 2004 to 2008. Due to the small sample size of the APS at constituency level it is not possible to provide reliable estimates for the constituency named Gateshead East and Washington West. However, the attached table shows estimates for Gateshead local authority which has a larger sample size. The table provides information for 2004 to 2008.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. These estimates are such that there is 95 per cent certainty that from all samples possible they will lie within the lower and upper bounds.
	
		
			  Table: Children( 1)  living in workless households( 2)  in Gateshead local authority 
			  Thousand 
			  January to December  Estimate  Lower bound( 3)  Upper bound( 3) 
			 2004 5.9 4.2 7.7 
			 2005 6.8 4.8 8.8 
			 2006 8.6 6.3 11.0 
			 2007 6.8 4.5 9.1 
			 2008 5.8 3.6 7.9 
			 (1) Children refers to children under 16. (2) Households including at least one person aged 16-64. (3) 95% confidence interval which means that from all samples possible there would be 95% certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds.  Source: APS household dataset

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its predecessor spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

Chris Grayling: The information requested on taxi travel expenditure is only available from 2005-06. Such information as is available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Period (April to March each year)  Expenditure (£ million)  Full-time equivalent staff resources (averaged over each year) 
			 2005-06 1.89 119,972 
			 2006-07 2.45 114,500 
			 2007-08 2.02 107,998 
			 2008-09 2.29 102,374 
			 2009-10 1.91 115,296 
		
	
	This expenditure includes expenditure on minicab/taxi firms and black cabs.
	Note that the full-time equivalent staff resource figures include CMEC.
	Expenditure by the Department on taxis needs to be seen in the following context:
	We estimate that some 40% of expenditure on taxis is incurred to enable disabled members of staff to travel to and from work. This expenditure represents payment by the Department of costs which in the case of other employers could be claimed for under the "Access to Work" scheme which Government Departments voluntarily forego;
	This amount of expenditure should also be viewed in the context of the size of the DWP work force of over 100,000 employees and the nature of its business operations that cover an office network of over 1,000 locations across Great Britain.
	The Department has clear policies in place which not only limit the circumstances under which officials can justify the use of taxis but also challenges the need to travel and strongly advocates the use of video and teleconferences wherever these facilities are practical alternatives.

SCOTLAND

Act of Settlement 1701

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 27 July 2010,  Official Report, column 974W, what the  (a) dates,  (b) times and  (c) locations were of each meeting he has had with the Deputy Prime Minister to discuss the Act of Settlement 1701.

Michael Moore: As the Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform explained in the Adjournment Debate on 1 July 2010,  Official Report, column 1109, the Government have not ruled out any change, but if we are to undertake change, we need to do it in a careful and thoughtful way. Where future change is considered, I will discuss this with my ministerial colleagues.

Constituencies

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the  (a) dates,  (b) times and  (c) locations were of the meetings he has had with the Advocate-General on the exemption of Orkney and Shetland constituency from plans to reduce the size of parliamentary constituencies in Scotland.

Michael Moore: No such meetings have been arranged to discuss the subject matter of the hon. Member's question. I regularly have discussions with the Advocate-General on a wide range of issues. The Government have proposed the two exceptions of Orkney and Shetland, and Na h-Eileanan an Iar as those islands are clearly unique in terms of their geography.

Departmental Consultants

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 10W, on departmental consultants, which external consultants and advisers his Department engaged in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10; and what work was commissioned from each.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office engaged the following external consultants and advisers in 2008-09 and 2009-10:
	 (a) 2008-09:
	Quadrant Consultants-research into voters perceptions following the 2007 Scottish parliamentary elections.
	Richmond Consulting and Oxford Economics-expert advice on the Scottish economy.
	 (b) 2009-10:
	University of Glasgow-research support to the Glasgow Task Force on generational poverty and benefit reliance.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in July 2010.

David Mundell: Scotland Office expenditure on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister during July 2010 was as follows:
	
		
			  July 2010 
			   £ 
			 The Secretary of State for Scotland 42.85 
			 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland 0 
		
	
	All expenditure incurred was in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

East Coast Railway Line: Timetables

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Secretary of State for Transport to discuss the proposed changes to the East Coast Main Line rail service timetable.

Michael Moore: Network Rail and the train operators are continuing to develop the timetable for the East Coast Main Line rail service route which will be introduced from May 2011. The Government will make their decision to proceed with implementation once a final timetable is presented to them.

Glasgow

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions he has visited  (a) the city of Glasgow,  (b) Edinburgh,  (c) South Lanarkshire,  (d) North Lanarkshire,  (e) Renfrewshire,  (f) the Scottish Borders,  (g) Perth and Kinross and  (h) Aberdeen on official business since his appointment; and on how many occasions he plans to visit each before 6 September 2010.

Michael Moore: I have visited a number of local authority areas on official business since taking up my appointment. In the course of the next few weeks I will carry out more such visits.

Taxis

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department and its predecessor spent on taxi fares in each year since 1997.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date, the following has been spent on taxi fares:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£) 
			 1999-2000(1,2) 9,224 
			 2000-01 7,853 
			 2001-02 8,518 
			 2002-03 10,130 
			 2003-04 8,960 
			 2004-05 8,266 
			 2005-06 8,983 
			 2006-07 9,421 
			 2007-08 10,885 
			 2008-09 13,833 
			 2009-10 17,407 
			 (1) In our first year, the costs of the Scotland Office were not discernable from those of the Office of the Advocate-General. Therefore, the cost shown for the first year includes the costs of both Offices. (2) Part year

EDUCATION

Academies: Special Educational Needs

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will monitor the performance of academies in narrowing the gap between the attainments of children with special educational needs and those of their peers.

Sarah Teather: The Special Educational Needs (Information) Act 2008 requires the Secretary of State for Education to publish information about pupils in England with special educational needs to help improve the well-being of these pupils.
	The first publication under that Act released on 8 October 2009 "Children with Special Educational Needs 2009: an analysis" included data on the attainment gap between children with special educational needs and their peers.(1)
	(1) The publication is available at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STA/t000851/index.shtml

Written Questions: Government Responses

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer Question  (a) (i) 5514, (ii) 5498, (iii) 5512, (iv) 5499, (v) 5510, (vi) 5513 and (vii) 5566, tabled on 29 June 2010,  (b) (i) 11433, (ii) 11434, (iii) 11435 and (iv) 11432, tabled on 21 July 2010 and  (c) (i) 11975 and (ii) 11976, tabled on 23 July 2010, on the New Schools Network.

Nick Gibb: A response to question 11975 will be issued shortly.
	Responses to the other questions listed were issued on:
	PQs 5498, 5499, 5512, 5513, 5514 and 5566-6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 350W.
	PQ 5510-6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 346W.
	PQs 11432, 11433, 11434 and 11435-6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 351W.
	PQ 11976-6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 349W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer question 7731, tabled on 7 July 2010 for answer on 13 July 2010, on the Building Schools for the Future programme and the construction industry.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 13 September 2010
	A response was issued to the hon. Member on 6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 343W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer question  (a) 9130 and  (b) 9133, tabled on 13 July 2010 for answer on 19 July 2010, on special school provision in Coventry.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 13 September 2010
	Responses were issued to the hon. Member on 7 September 2010,  Official Report, column 407W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer question  (a) 10485,  (b) 10483,  (c) 10484 and  (d) 10482, tabled on 19 July 2010 for answer on 22 July 2010, on faith schools.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 13 September 2010
	 Responses to the questions listed were issued on:
	PQ 10482-27 July 2010,  Official Report, column 1199W.
	PQ 10483-6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 340W.
	PQ 10484-27 July 2010,  Official Report, column 1199W.
	PQ 10485-6 September 2010,  Official Report, columns 340-1W.

Young People: Unemployment

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 18 to 24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training in Bury North constituency; and what steps his Department is taking to assist these people to enter education, employment or training.

John Hayes: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows the number and proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds(1) in Bury local authority in 2009 not in education, employment or training.
	(1) Age used is respondents academic age, which is defined as their age at the preceding 31 August.
	
		
			  Bury 
			   Number and proportion 
			 Number 5,000 
			 Percentage of all 16 to 24-year-olds 23.1 
			 95% confidence interval +/- 6.6ppt 
		
	
	This information is from the Annual Population Survey, which covers the period January to December of each year, with 2009 being the most recent estimate available. The Annual Population Survey is the only available source of data with a sample large enough to provide local authority estimates of the number of young people up to the age of 24 who are NEET, However, the sample is not large enough to provide estimates for smaller geographies, such as parliamentary constituencies, or to provide local authority estimates for age ranges narrower than 16 to 24.
	It is important to note that these estimates are subject to large sampling variability and should therefore be treated with caution and viewed in conjunction with their confidence intervals, which indicate how accurate an estimate is. For example, a confidence interval of +/-6.6 percentage points means that the true value is between 6.6pp above the estimate and 6.6pp below the estimate.
	Quarterly estimates of the number of people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) derived from the Labour Force Survey are published by the Department for Education. The latest publication can be found online at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR/d000950/index.shtml
	This includes supplementary tables giving breakdowns of 18 to 24-year-olds NEET for each region.
	Addressing the problem of young people who are not in education, employment and training is one of our key priorities. A lack of skills can be a barrier to gaining employment for some unemployed young people. Young people who are NEET are entitled to face to face support from the adult careers service, Next Step, and can expect to be referred to an adviser early on after claiming out-of-work benefits. A range of training options is already available and we are starting to give colleges and other providers more freedom to develop training programmes which reflect the needs of young people in their areas. For those young people who stay NEET and are claiming benefits for six months or more, the Work Programme will provide a tailored package of support to get people into work.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Departmental Manpower

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many staff were employed in each department of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in each month since 6 May 2010.

Charles Walker: The number of full-time equivalent staff employed in each department of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in each month since 6 May 2010 is given in the table. This figure includes permanent and fixed-term IPSA employees, permanent employees of other organisations seconded to IPSA, interims and temporary staff who are not IPSA employees.
	
		
			   May  June  July  August  September( 1) 
			 CEO and Support 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Operations 37.5 39.5 53.3 61.7 58.7 
			 Finance and Corporate Services 14 14 14 13.4 10.4 
			 Policy, Communications and Secretariat 10 10 10 9 9 
			 Total 63.5 65.5 79.3 86.1 80.1 
			 (1) Current

Members: Correspondence

Christopher Chope: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, when the Chairman of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority plans to reply to the letter to him of 13 July 2010 from the office of the hon. Member for Christchurch.

Charles Walker: It has not been possible for IPSA to provide a response to this question by the named day. IPSA will respond as soon as possible.

Public Appointments: Compensation

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how much the former Operations Director of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority received in compensation on leaving his post; and whether he left his duties on medical grounds.

Charles Walker: No compensation was paid to the former Operations Director. He was contracted as an interim to manage the planning and immediate start-up phase of the organisation. His assignment ended when the work had been substantially completed.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Battle of Waterloo: Anniversaries

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department plans to take to commemorate the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo.

John Penrose: The Department has no plans, to commemorate the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo itself, but there are initiatives being organised by a number of national and regional military museums to mark the occasion, including the National Army Museum and relevant regimental museums, which come under the remit of the Ministry of Defence. There is also likely to be some commemorative activity at associated heritage sites such as Apsley House, the home of the Duke of Wellington, and Walmer Castle.

Bookmakers

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the proportion of the revenue of high street bookmakers which can be attributed to fixed odds betting terminals.

John Penrose: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department.
	The Gambling Commission publishes statistics on the gambling industry each year. The most recent publication/Industry Statistics 2008-09 is available online at:
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/Gambling%20Industry%20Statistics%202008%202009%20-%20update%20-%20October%202009.pdf
	This publication contains provisional figures based on regulatory returns made by licensed off-course betting operators. These show that the gross profit from betting was £1,717,100,000 and the gross profit from gaming machines in betting shops, which include B2 machines (formerly known as fixed odds betting terminals) was £1,138,000,000.

Diamond Jubilee 2012

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will provide advice and assistance to local authorities to establish new playing fields to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of HM the Queen.

Hugh Robertson: Fields in Trust (FIT) recently announced a programme to protect playing fields as part of the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations in 2012.
	Sport England is working with FIT to consider how this work could complement the strategy being developed for ensuring a successful sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympics.

Mobile Phones: Contracts

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  at what level he expects Mobile termination rates to be set by January 2012;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with Ofcom on proposals to expedite reduction of mobile termination rates.

Edward Vaizey: Mobile termination rates (the wholesale charges operators make to connect calls to each other's networks) are a regulatory matter falling within Ofcom's remit, as the independent UK communications regulator.
	Existing rules which limit mobile termination rates in the UK will expire on 31 March 2011. Between 1 April and 23 June this year Ofcom consulted on what, if any, MTR rules should apply thereafter. The consultation covered plans to reduce MTRs to benefit UK mobile and landline consumers. In that consultation, Ofcom proposed MTRs on a four year glide path (in pence per minute) as follows.
	
		
			  Pence per minute 
			   2010-11  20011-12  2012-13  20013-14  2014-15 
			 Voadafone/O2/Orange/T-Mobile 4.3 2.5 1.5 0.9 0.5 
			 H3G 4.6 2.5 1.5 0.9 0.5 
			 Other mobile communications providers (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 (1) Set on the basis of being fair and reasonable 
		
	
	Ofcom's proposals would reduce MTRs by around 85% over the next four years from 4.3 ppm in 2010-11 to 0.5 ppm by 2015. This glide path is designed to minimise the impact of the lost revenue on operators and will also help to ensure that operators do not look to recoup the cost of lower termination rates from their customers as they might with a steeper glide path.
	Ofcom are considering submissions received from consumers, consumer groups and operators and they expect to announce the results of this consultation early in 2011. As an independent regulator it is not appropriate for me to discuss these issues with Ofcom, their decision will take into account views raised by stakeholders and will be made in accordance with their statutory duties.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many contracts related to the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded to businesses and organisations in  (a) Tyne and Wear and  (b) Washington and Sunderland West constituency; and what the monetary value is of each such contract.

Hugh Robertson: Information on businesses across the nations and regions that have won Olympic-related contracts directly supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), and in the supply chains of its contractors, is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA Suppliers, where you will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	www.london2012.com/business
	The estimated value of the contracts awarded to businesses in Tyne and Wear is £854,154, and to date no businesses have been awarded contracts in the Washington and Sunderland West constituency. These figures only account for the contracts awarded by the ODA to its own top tier of contractors (tier one contractors). The figures do not include the values of contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors and not by the ODA. The ODA estimates that the total value of supply chain contracts to the regions runs into millions of pounds, but these are not public procurements and so the full value of contracts won across the UK is not captured by the figures provided. The ODA estimates that overall up to 50,000 contracts will be generated throughout its supply chains. The ODA is unable to release the value of individual contracts at this time as this is commercially sensitive information. These figures represent the committed spend to date, rather than the end contract value, as in many cases this will not yet be known.

Sports: Facilities

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that sports clubs that choose not to apply for Clubmark status receive fair and equal treatment from local authorities and other providers of sports facilities;
	(2)  what role Knight, Kavanagh and Page has in the operation of the Clubmark scheme; and how much Knight, Kavanagh and Page has been paid by his Department for discharging that role in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what the cost of administering the Clubmark scheme was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Hugh Robertson: It is at the discretion of local authorities and local sports providers to determine the level of support they offer to local sports clubs. We are keen to help ensure quality of sporting provision across the board, and in many cases Clubmark, or its equivalent, helps deliver this.
	Many local authorities have chosen to adopt the scheme because Clubmark accreditation recognises a club's commitment to providing a safe quality environment for young people.
	Sport England invests £174,000 per annum into the Clubmark scheme directly through Knight, Kavanagh and Page who manage and administer the whole programme on their behalf.

Sports: Facilities

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of sports clubs affiliated to national governing bodies recognised by Sport England.

Hugh Robertson: The information requested is not collated centrally by the Department or by Sport England.
	I can however confirm that as at the end of July 2010 there were 6,299 Clubmark accredited clubs and 4,801 registered as working towards Clubmark. The database is in the public domain and can be found on the Clubmark website:
	http://www.clubmark.org.uk/resources/clubmark-accredited-clubs-database
	Further, there are 3,616 charter standard football clubs. Charter Standard and Clubmark have recently become aligned. Consequently, there are now 9,915 Clubmark accredited clubs.
	Clubmark is the only national cross sports quality accreditation scheme for clubs with junior sections. It is built around a set of core criteria which ensure that accredited clubs operate to a set of consistent, accepted and adopted minimum operating standards.

Television: Urban Areas

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate has been made of the opportunity cost of using interleaved spectrum for the broadcast of city TV services.

Edward Vaizey: Ofcom made an assessment of the opportunity cost of interleaved spectrum in its 2007 Digital Dividend Review and concluded this could be between £50 million to £400 million per frequency channel over 20 years depending on certain factors. In 2009, licences for use of one interleaved channel in Manchester and Cardiff were auctioned at the reserve price of £10,000 each.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Official Publications: Costs

Denis MacShane: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission what the cost was of producing the publication  (a) The Houses of Parliament: Travel Office,  (b) The Houses of Parliament: Keeping Yourself Healthy in Parliament and  (c) House of Commons, What's on June to September 2010.

Stuart Bell: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The leaflet on the Travel Office was produced in-house. There have been three print runs since November 2009 totalling 2,300 copies at a total cost of £422 (the latest being in May 2010 for 350 copies at a cost of £73).
	 (b) The Keeping Yourself Healthy in Parliament leaflet was similarly produced in-house, at a cost of £353 for 3050 copies,
	 (c) The What's On Guide June to September was printed externally at a cost of £745 for 2,000 copies.
	In addition, it is estimated that the staff time involved in designing the three publications cost £450 in total.

Palace of Westminster: Gas

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission on how many occasions a smell of gas has been reported in the colonnade of New Palace Yard in the last 12 months; and what steps have been taken as a consequence of such reports.

Stuart Bell: The Parliamentary Estate's records show that since 1 September 2009 there have been eight instances, in each case related to gas lanterns.
	The gas lanterns are Victorian and the fragile mantles are sometimes broken as a result of adverse weather, which leads to a smell of escaping gas. The design is such however that there is no reasonably foreseeable risk of a gas explosion, due to the small size of the gas supply pipe and the fact that they vent to atmosphere. These gas lamps are used throughout London's Royal Parks.
	The recent gas smell has been investigated and the lantern is now isolated awaiting repair. In the meantime a pressure drop test on the gas supply pipework has revealed no leaks.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Churches: Bats

George Freeman: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners what estimate the Church Commissioners have made of the cost to churches of compliance with conditions attached to planning permissions in respect of bats in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony Baldry: There are no figures available for the total cost to parishes in Norfolk of getting the necessary bat surveys done before work on the fabric of church buildings can be started, nor of the total cost borne by parishes in mitigating the damage caused by bats in Norfolk churches. Surveys carried out by accredited ecologists usually cost between £1,000 and £2,000. Cleaning where colonies of bats exist is a major outlay for any parish church, an example of this is St Andrew's Church in Holme Hale, Norfolk, one of the worst effected in the country, in the last year this church has paid £2,600 in cleaning costs to clear up after its resident bats.

Churches: Bats

George Freeman: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners what estimate the Church Commissioners have made of the number of cases of damage to historic churches in Norfolk caused by bats.

Tony Baldry: The damage to historic artefacts is incalculable, mainly because in many cases it is irreversible. The Church Buildings Council is working closely with Natural England and DEFRA to try and find ways of mitigating the burden to churches within the law, and is currently conducting a pilot project in Norfolk to explore ways of encouraging the bats to find alternative accommodation by for example the use of bat boxes outside on the eaves. The results of the pilot will be reported at a conservation conference to be held at Lambeth Palace in November. Norfolk has the highest number of medieval churches in Europe. In many instances bats and congregations can co-exist quite happily. The problems and costs escalate where the bats occupy churches in large numbers. I undertake the hon. Member updated with progress.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Local Government: Stoke on Trent

Joan Walley: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the  (a) proposals and  (b) timescale are for ward boundary changes in Stoke-on-Trent; and if he will make a statement.

Gary Streeter: The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) informs me that it will publish the final recommendations of its electoral review of Stoke-on-Trent city council on 26 October 2010. Details of the recommendations will be immediately available on the LGBCE's website:
	www.lgbce.org.uk
	and hard copies will be sent to all local Members of Parliament.
	A draft order, intended to implement the LGBCE's final recommendations, will be laid in both Houses of Parliament in January 2011 and will be subject to the negative resolution procedure. Subject to parliamentary approval, new electoral arrangements for the city council will then be implemented at the local elections on 5 May 2011.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Sequestration

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Treasury officials on the carbon capture and storage demonstration competition.

Charles Hendry: A number of constructive discussions have taken place between the Department and HM Treasury, at ministerial level and between officials, regarding various aspects of the carbon capture and storage demonstration competition.

Carbon Sequestration

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policy of the carbon capture and storage demonstration competition.

Charles Hendry: The Annual Energy Statement and the 2050 Pathways' analysis, published in July 2010, make it clear the Government considers that CCS has the potential to play a vital role in ensuring low carbon and secure energy supplies. This is why we said in the Coalition Programme that we will continue public sector investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology for four coal-fired power stations.
	We are continuing support for detailed Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) work as a key element of the first CCS demonstration competition. This work is on course to meet its scheduled conclusion in spring 2011.
	We held a Senior Stakeholder Conference in July 2010 to discuss investment in CCS in the UK and have subsequently established the CCS Development Forum. At the conference we also launched a market sounding process to engage with industry on the development of the selection process for future CCS demonstration projects, ahead of our intended launch of a formal call for additional projects by the end of the year.

Carbon Sequestration

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the reasons for the time taken to begin to construct the first UK power plants using carbon capture and storage.

Charles Hendry: The complexities associated with delivering a large-scale first-of-a-kind project have contributed to the length of time taken to reach the later stages of the current competition for the first CCS demonstration. We are working within the framework established by the previous Government, while bringing forward the project for subsequent completion. Learning from that process will enable us to introduce a more streamlined approach to selecting future demonstration projects for support.

Carbon Sequestration

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish the Carbon Capture and Storage Road Map.

Charles Hendry: We expect to publish the CCS Roadmap in spring 2011. Since May we have held a Senior Stakeholder conference on encouraging investment in CCS in the UK and published the 2050 Pathways call for evidence. Feedback from this engagement with stakeholders will feed into the Roadmap and the new CCS Development Forum, which we launched in July, will help guide its development.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to introduce environmental performance standards to regulate carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Government committed, in the coalition agreement, to the establishment of an emissions performance standard (EPS) that will prevent coal-fired power stations being built unless they are equipped with sufficient carbon capture and storage (CCS) to meet the EPS. The consultation in autumn 2010 on electricity market reform will consider how an EPS would be introduced alongside wider reform of the electricity market. An EPS may interact with many of the other policy instruments being considered. With significant challenges ahead for the energy sector and a need for substantial new investment in order to deliver secure, affordable and low carbon energy, it will be critical that all action taken over the next decade and beyond is closely aligned, and that the impacts an EPS may have on the market alongside other mechanisms are properly understood.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Hunterston

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what national policy considerations will be taken into account in deciding on the application for consent for a coal-fired power station at Hunterston.

Charles Hendry: Applications to build and operate power stations over 50 MW in Scotland are made to the Scottish Ministers. This is a devolved matter, and the UK Government cannot intervene in individual applications.
	Energy policy is generally a matter reserved to UK Ministers and so UK energy policy, as reflected in the proposed national policy statements or set out elsewhere, may be a relevant consideration in planning decisions in Scotland.
	It would not be appropriate to comment specifically on the Hunterston proposal as it is a live planning application.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to analyse the distributional effect of options for reductions in his Department's expenditure.

Gregory Barker: In light of their commitments to fairness and social mobility, the Government will look closely at the effects of their decisions on different groups in society, especially the least well off, and on different regions. As part of the Spending Review process, DECC has shared with HMT analysis, both qualitative and quantitative, of the distributional impact of energy and climate change policies.

Departmental Training

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many external training courses were attended by staff of his Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such course.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not keep a central record of staff attending external training events and the associated costs therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Insulation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 148-9W, on housing insulation, whether the target of insulating every home with cavity wall and loft insulation where technically possible by 2015 is one of the binding targets referred to in the answer.

Gregory Barker: The legally binding targets referred to in my answer of 6 July are those defined in 2008 under the first three Carbon Budgets. For the Homes and Communities sector this equates to a 29% cut in CO2 emissions by 2020 from a 2008 baseline.
	We are confident that Green Deal, together with supporting measures such as the new energy company obligation, will enable us to achieve or go beyond the ambition level of this target. In the meantime, our decision to extend the carbon emissions reduction target to December 2012 will ensure we are on track to make significant progress by 2015, including the completion of all remaining loft and cavity wall installations where technically practical.

Microgeneration: Finance

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to encourage UK businesses to invest in small-scale renewable energy projects.

Charles Hendry: The Government are fully committed to meeting their renewables targets and as part of this are keen to encourage small scale electricity generation through the Feed-in Tariff scheme.
	We are also equally committed to taking action on renewable heat; this is a crucial part of ensuring we meet our renewables targets, cutting carbon and ensuring energy security. The Government are considering responses to the Renewable Heat Incentive consultation and will set out detailed proposals on how to take forward action on renewable heat through the Spending Review.
	The Government also launched a new Microgeneration Strategy in July, a collaborative consultation process which will aim to tackle non-financial barriers to development of the microgeneration market. This was followed by a roundtable discussion chaired by Greg Barker with key stakeholders. Business along with communities and householders wishing to invest in small scale onsite energy generation should benefit from this strategy.
	We are also taking additional measures to boost the deployment of renewables, to which I would refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him today to question 13970.

National Grid: Offshore Industry

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to increase the National Grid's infrastructure capacity to facilitate offshore energy projects; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: We are putting in place a competitive licensing regime to connect offshore wind farms to the onshore grid. In its role as system operator, National Grid's licence means it has a clear role to work with offshore grid developers to facilitate a co-ordinated and efficient offshore network. Ofgem has given clear guidance to the system operator in fulfilling these extended duties offshore. In its role as the transmission company for England and Wales, National Grid along with the two Scottish onshore transmission owners will make proposals to Ofgem for any necessary onshore reinforcements to connect offshore wind farms to the onshore network. Ofgem then approve the expenditure necessary for transmission companies to deliver any new grid infrastructure capacity efficiently.

National Grid: Renewable Energy

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his estimate is of the cost of the expansion of the national grid required to accommodate expected levels of renewable electricity generation in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: To accommodate the expected growth in offshore wind generation, we estimate that at least £15 billion will be required for the transmission infrastructure to connect offshore wind farms to the onshore grid.
	In addition, the onshore grid will need to be upgraded to accommodate the planned growth in offshore wind generation as well as for the growth of onshore renewable and other low carbon generation. The March 2009 Electricity Networks Strategy Group '2020 Vision' report:
	http://www.ensg.gov.uk/assets/1696-01-ensg_vision2020.pdf
	set out the potential extra onshore transmission investments needed to connect the significant changes in the generation mix to 2020. This estimated that upgrading onshore grid could require up to £4.7 billion of new investment over the next decade.

Power Stations: Offshore Industry

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what measures are in place to encourage the location of power stations required for the collection of offshore energy to be sited on  (a) brownfield and  (b) industrial sites.

Charles Hendry: Developers and consenting authorities can be expected to assess a proposed location in terms of, among other factors, prevailing planning policy and any emphasis in that on brownfield or industrial locations.

Renewable Energy

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department plans to publish its delivery plan for renewable energy.

Charles Hendry: We plan to publish our renewables delivery plan in the spring which will set out how we can deliver, from an exceedingly low base, the legal commitment to supply 15% of our energy from renewables sources by 2020.
	We are also already taking additional measures to boost the deployment of renewables:
	We have asked the Committee on Climate Change for advice on the scope for a more ambitious target for renewables through to 2030. They have already indicated that the legacy inherited by the coalition will make going beyond the 15% by 2020 unrealistic, and we look forward to receiving their further analysis in the spring;
	We will allow communities that host renewable energy projects to keep the additional business rates they generate. This should help encourage local authorities to support suitable projects brought forward by business;
	We have overturned the law preventing local authorities from selling renewable electricity to the grid.
	We have taken immediate action to exploit the potential of bio-electricity and energy from waste by grandfathering support under the renewables obligation for electricity from waste, anaerobic digestion and advanced conversion technologies, such as pyrolysis and gasification. We will publish in the autumn a joint industry/Government action plan to deliver a huge increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion;
	We are supporting six projects under the third round of the Offshore Wind Demonstration Call;
	We will be appointing Offshore Transmission Operators (OFTOs) through competitive tenders to build and maintain grids in UK waters, with an expected £15 billion of investment required to 2020. We have already appointed three OFTOs to manage £700 million of offshore grid assets; and
	We are currently consulting on a hew microgeneration strategy aimed at ensuring that smaller scale technologies reach their full potential to deliver low carbon heat and electricity in households and at community scales.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to replace the Low Carbon Buildings Programme with the Renewable Heat Incentive once the former expires.

Gregory Barker: The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) was closed on 24 May 2010. It was anticipated that support for heat under LCBP would continue up until the introduction of the Government's action on renewable heat, scheduled for April 2010. However, as part of the Government's commitment to delivering £6 billion of departmental spending cuts in 2010-11, the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) was closed early to contribute £3 million to the £43 million savings that result from cutting or slowing down planned departmental expenditure.
	The LCBP has been successful in increasing the uptake of low carbon buildings technology in the UK. Applications worth £63 million for payment in 2010-11 will not be affected by the cuts and where grant offer letters have been issued they will be processed. Applications that were received before the programme was closed and pass the standard due diligence test applied to all applications will be honoured. All projects are to be completed by 31 March 2011.
	The Government are fully committed to taking action on renewable heat and are currently considering responses to the Renewable Heat Incentive consultation that closed on the 26 April 2010. We will set but detailed proposals for taking forward the Government's commitment to renewable heat through the spending review.

Wind Power: Noise

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what investigations his Department has commissioned into noise from wind farms; and from whom.

Charles Hendry: I have recently commissioned an analysis of matters arising in the consideration of noise impacts in the determination of wind farm developments in England. The project will seek to establish best practice in assessing and rating wind turbine noise as applied by specialist acoustics consultants by investigating previous decisions, to ensure that the ETSU-R-97 is applied in a consistent and effective manner (though the project will not revisit ETSU itself). The project will be looking at decisions made at all levels of the planning system.

Wind Power: Noise

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which officials from which sections of  (a) his Department and  (b) other Departments were involved in determining and drafting the remit of the contract awarded to the Hayes McKenzie Partnership to investigate the implementation of ETSU-R-97 guidance; and whether any such official is on secondment from industry.

Charles Hendry: The head of the land-based renewables team within the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment, Sarah Rhodes, has responsibility for onshore wind policy and for the award of a contract to the Hayes McKenzie Partnership. Junior officials from her team were directly involved in the contractual process, together with others from DEFRA (including advice from DEFRA's expert acoustic advisers) and CLG. None of these officials are on secondment from industry or any other organisation.

Wind Power: Noise

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what reports he has received on  (a) challenges to the ETSU-R-97 method for the assessment and rating of noise from wind farms made by expert acousticians at planning inquiries and  (b) the views of planning inspectors on the appropriateness of the ETSU method.

Charles Hendry: The Department is aware from various sources, including planning decisions, that some expert acousticians at planning inquiries have challenged aspects of the ETSU-R-97 method and its implementation. This is for a number of reasons including the way in which it has been implemented, which is why I have asked Hayes McKenzie to carry out new analysis of this particular issue. In the light of such concerns presented to them, planning inspectors have reflected these comments. Planning inspectors are, however, aware that ETSU-R-97 remains the applicable guidance for assessing and rating noise from wind energy developments.

Wind Power: Planning

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans the Government have to introduce a statutory two-kilometre buffer zone between wind farms and residential areas.

Charles Hendry: There are currently no plans to introduce a proximity rule. The assessment of an application to develop a wind farm already includes, among other things, an analysis of visual and landscape impacts to ascertain whether the location and height of the wind farm is acceptable. The Government consider that these impacts are best assessed on a case by case basis so that local factors can be taken fully into account, regardless of whether applications are dealt with at national or local level. Where applications are dealt with at local level, we believe that councils should have the opportunity to decide these matters on behalf of their local community.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Iran

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on Iran; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: We would welcome improved relations with Iran. Improved relations will come with the Iranian Government engaging in good faith with the E3 plus 3 on its nuclear programme and improving its increasingly poor human rights record.

Turkey: EU Accession

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the advantages and disadvantages to the UK of Turkey's accession to the EU; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The case for Turkey's EU membership, subject to rigorous accession criteria, is clearer than ever. As a country with a rapidly growing economy and increasing international influence, including in the Middle East, Turkey's membership would bring increased prosperity and security for the UK.

EU Treaties

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the process for UK ratification of future EU treaties.

David Lidington: I refer my hon. Friend to my written ministerial statement of 13 September 2010,  Official Report, columns 31-33WS. The Government are clear that there should be no further transfers of sovereignty or powers from the UK to the EU in this Parliament. We will introduce legislation to ensure that any subsequent future treaty that proposes to transfer competence or power from the UK to the EU will be subject to a referendum of the British people before it can be ratified by the UK.

Pakistan

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of UK relations with Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK and Pakistan have a strong relationship, demonstrated by our offering some £64 million to help with flood relief. We are committed to a long-term, productive and friendly partnership with Pakistan, based on the enhanced strategic dialogue announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Zardari on 6 August.

Narco-terrorism: Mexico

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department has given to the government of Mexico to counter narco-terrorism.

Henry Bellingham: I will reply to my hon. Friend shortly.

Middle East

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effects of terrorist acts by Hamas on the Middle East peace process.

Alistair Burt: The UK along with international community recognise Hamas retain the ability to damage the peace process. We condemn the recent acts of terrorism and they must not be allowed to derail the talks. We call on all parties to refrain from any activity that could undermine the search for a just and lasting settlement.

Corruption: Afghanistan

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress in reducing levels of corruption in Afghanistan.

Alistair Burt: Since the hon. Member last asked this question in June 2010, President Karzai has made further commitments on priority areas for tackling corruption at the Kabul conference. It is now essential that the Afghan Government deliver on these commitments through concrete action.

The Commonwealth

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives he plans to introduce to reinvigorate the Commonwealth; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: We believe we need to think afresh about the UK's relationship with the Commonwealth and encourage other member states to work with us to reinvigorate this extraordinary organisation.
	We will encourage the Eminent Persons Group and Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group review to issue strong recommendations ahead of the Heads of Government meeting in 2011.

Human Rights: Sri Lanka

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed human rights issues with his Sri Lankan counterpart.

Alistair Burt: We regularly raise human rights with the Government of Sri Lanka. Following the end of the conflict, there has been an improvement in the human rights situation, but we remain concerned about the difficult environment for freedom of expression and reports of continued paramilitary activity in the north.

Afghanistan: Chevening Scholarships

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people from Afghanistan were awarded a Chevening scholarship in academic year  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08,  (c) 2008-09 and  (d) 2009-10.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend Lord Howell of Guildford to Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 27 July 2010,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA315, giving the number of Chevening scholars from each country over the last five years. For Afghanistan the figures are  (a) 10,  (b) 13,  (c) 10 and  (d) 13.

Departmental Responsibilities

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions each Minister in his Department has met his Department's Chief Executive Officer since 6 May 2010.

Alistair Burt: Simon Fraser, our new Permanent Under-Secretary of State, started on 27 August 2010, and like his predecessors, has participated in a number of meetings and other events with the ministerial team as part of the normal course of business. We do not keep records of such contact.

Diplomatic Service: Flags

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on purchasing and installing European Union flags at UK diplomatic posts in the last five years.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 13 September 2010
	Information for the cost of purchasing and installing the European Union flag at UK diplomatic posts is not held centrally, and is available only at disproportionate cost.

Falkland Islands: Sovereignty

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries in north, central and south America recognise British sovereignty in the Falkland Islands.

Alistair Burt: The majority of north, central and south American countries do not recognise either British or Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, although most do support Argentine calls for dialogue over sovereignty. However, the UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, and the principle of self determination underlies this position. There can be no negotiations on sovereignty unless and until the islanders so wish. The UN continues to recognise UK administration of the Falkland Islands.

Indonesia: Religion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to take steps to assist civil society organisations to promote religious pluralism, religious freedom and counter-extremism in Indonesia.

Alistair Burt: We support the work of civil society organisations in Indonesia working to promote religious freedom and counter-extremism. We have contributed funds to a variety of projects including: to help strengthen the capacity of institutions to foster tolerance, mutual understanding, moderation, violence reduction and de-radicalisation; capacity building for religious leaders; and engaging radical Muslim communities in the promotion of human rights in Indonesia.
	In July, my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Jeremy Browne, highlighted the emphasis the UK places on counter radicalisation at a post-Friday prayers discussion at the Islamic State University Syarif Hidayatullah in Jakarta. We will continue to call for religious tolerance across Indonesia.

Mexico: Overseas Aid

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will increase the level of assistance the Government is giving to the Government of Mexico to combat  (a) drug trafficking,  (b) human trafficking and  (c) narco-terrorism.

Nick Herbert: I have been asked to reply.
	Her Majesty's Government support the efforts of the Mexican Government to combat trans-national organised crime. We have done so on a bilateral basis, providing support through various law-enforcement exchanges and projects. These include expert visits from the National Police Improvement Agency and the Metropolitan Police, as well as various projects supporting Mexico to reform its criminal justice system. The Serious Organised Crime Agency has also offered specialist assistance.
	We have also provided support alongside European Union partners, through the formal EU-Mexico Strategic Partnership. Within this Partnership, we have worked with the Mexican Government on improving the capacity of their federal police force on forensics, police intelligence, interview techniques, surveillance, trial testimony and the methodology of investigation.
	We will continue to work with the Mexican Government.
	There is no evidence to suggest that Mexico has a direct impact on the United Kingdom in relation to human trafficking or that Mexican organised crime groups are linked with terrorism.

Nuclear Weapons: Research

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he received the report, Verifying warhead dismantlement: Past, present, future, commissioned from the Verification Technology Information Centre as part of the UK-Norway Initiative on verified warhead dismantlement; how much this research cost; and what steps he plans to take as a result of the report.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received the Verification Technology Information Centre's (VERTIC) independent report on the UK-Norway Initiative on 2 September 2010.
	The Ministry of Defence paid VERTIC £40,431 between 2008 and 2009 for research, two reports and independent oversight of the UK-Norway Initiative which has been well received internationally for its contribution to disarmament efforts.
	We are considering the results of the report. The UK and Norway are working together on a future programme of co-operation to develop the UK-Norway Initiative.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on allegations that Sri Lankan security forces committed war crimes during the conflict with the Tamil Tigers.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports by non-governmental organisations and governments which allege that war crimes were committed by both sides in the final months of the military conflict which ended in May 2009. We have raised our concerns about these allegations with senior members of the Sri Lankan Government, including the President and Foreign Minister. We have consistently urged the Government to undertake an independent and credible investigation into these allegations. A process of accountability could play an important role in achieving post-conflict reconciliation.

UK Membership of EU

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment has been made of the level of public support for continued UK membership of the EU.

David Lidington: Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty without a referendum has damaged public confidence in the European Union (EU). The Government's forthcoming EU Bill will help restore that confidence by ensuring that voters will have their say over any future EU Treaty or Treaty amendment that transfers competence from the United Kingdom to the European Union.
	The Government believe the United Kingdom's interests are best served by membership of a European Union that is an association of its member states.

UK Membership of EU

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will bring forward legislative proposals for a referendum on whether the UK should remain a member of the EU.

David Lidington: The Government do not propose a referendum on this issue. Membership of the then EEC was approved by the British electorate in a referendum in 1975. This Government believe that membership of the EU is in the United Kingdom's national interest.
	Over the next five years we intend to champion vigorously the interests of the United Kingdom and play an active role in the EU. We believe that that the EU needs to change and that the EU can do things better, and we are confident in Britain's ability to move the EU in the right direction. The Government are clear in its objective to improve the democratic accountability of EU decision making.

UN Security Council

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes the UK is seeking in the composition of the UN Security Council.

Henry Bellingham: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said on 1 July:
	'this Government will be at the forefront of those arguing for the expansion of the United Nations Security Council'.
	We are clear and unambiguous in our support for a reformed Council and consider that the number of permanent seats should be increased to include Japan, India, Germany, Brazil and African representation.

United Nations: Reform

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK's objectives are for the reform of the United Nations.

Henry Bellingham: We need a strong UN to resolve and manage international challenges such as conflict prevention and resolution, proliferation of nuclear weapons, international terrorism and climate change. We shall work with other member states to modernise UN practices, to make the UN more effective and to strengthen its capacity to deliver where most needed. It also remains vital that the UN balances member states' demands for activity with sustainable budget levels, and that the costs of UN activity are apportioned fairly among member states.
	The UN Security Council is the only global body that has the legitimacy and moral authority to respond to global threats to peace and security. It needs to become more representative of the modern world, but at the same time no less effective in taking necessary decisions to maintain international peace and security. We support permanent seats on a reformed Council for Japan, India, Germany, Brazil and African representation.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Alternative Vote: Referendums

David Hamilton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the lowest geographical level is at which data on the turnout and result of the proposed alternative vote referendum will be  (a) recorded and  (b) published.

Mark Harper: Under the provisions in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill ("the Bill") the referendum on the voting system will be run on local authority boundaries in Great Britain. As a consequence of this the lowest geographical level at which data on the turnout and result of the poll will be recorded and published will be local authority boundaries in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland is treated as a single area for the purpose of the referendum and so a single turnout figure and result will be available in Northern Ireland.

Constituencies

Tom Harris: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost to the public purse was of the last review of parliamentary constituencies in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) Scotland; and what the estimated cost of the next review of constituency boundaries is in England, Wales and Scotland.

Mark Harper: Information relating to the costs of the last general review of constituency boundaries in England and Wales and Scotland is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Cost of last general review 
			   £ 
			 England and Wales 11,459,534 
			 Scotland 957,120 
		
	
	We estimate that a boundary review on the basis set out in the PVSC Bill would cost a total of between £11.2 and £11.6 million in England, Scotland and Wales.

Constituencies

Luciana Berger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate has been made of the costs of the boundary review proposed in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill.

Mark Harper: We estimate that a boundary review on the basis set out in the PVSC Bill would cost between £12.4 and £13.2 million.

TREASURY

Capital Allowances

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the Exchequer of maintaining company capital allowances at May 2010 levels.

David Gauke: The annual cost to the Exchequer of maintaining capital allowances at May 2010 levels is currently around £20 billion around 85% of which relates to companies.
	The tax cost of capital allowances for companies is expected to reduce by around £2 billion a year once the changes announced in the June 2010 Budget come into effect fully.

Child Benefit: Sunderland

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are in receipt of child benefit in  (a) Washington and Sunderland West constituency and  (b) the City of Sunderland.

David Gauke: The constituency referred to in the question-Washington and Sunderland West-was formed after August 2009. The information for the new constituency would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	The latest information on the number of families receiving child benefit, by each parliamentary constituency, local authority and region is available in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis. August 2009". This can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/chb-geog-aug09.pdf.

Child Trust Fund: Sunderland

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in Washington and Sunderland West constituency have received payments from the Child Trust Fund in each year since its inception.

Mark Hoban: Each Child Trust Fund (CTF) account that is opened currently receives a payment from the Government with an additional payment being made in the case of children in lower income families. Statistics showing the numbers of CTF accounts opened in each parliamentary constituency can be viewed on HM Revenue and Customs' website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/stats.htm
	The latest statistics were published in November 2009 and show the number of CTF accounts for children born on or before 5 April 2008 for the parliamentary constituencies as they stood at 5 April 2009.

Debts: Interest Charges

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2010,  Official Report, column 238W, on debts: interest charges, if he will estimate the revenue which would be raised in 2010-11 if the tax deductibility of interest payments on debt were removed from financial corporations.

David Gauke: The estimate provided in the answer of 23 June was based on an assessment of the impact of removing the tax deductibility of interest payments net of taxable interest receipts for non-financial corporations. The majority of non-financial corporations are in a net interest payment position, paying more interest than they receive. Any restriction of the tax deductibility of this amount will raise revenue.
	In contrast, financial corporations tend to be net recipients of interest, and this forms part of their profits. While particular corporations in the financial sector may find themselves in a net interest paying position in some years, it is expected that very little revenue would be raised by removing the tax deductibility of net interest payments from the financial sector as a whole. The detailed information required to make such an estimate is not available.

Departmental Contracts

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the contracts between his Department and private sector companies which will be cancelled under his Department's planned spending reductions.

Justine Greening: The Efficiency and Reform Group within the Cabinet Office is leading on the review and renegotiation of Government contracts across all Government Departments which will look at all aspects of contracts including a termination. The Treasury is focusing its resources on reviewing the contracts with its top suppliers, representing approximately 60% of total HMT procurement expenditure.

Departmental Furniture

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with  (a) officials and  (b) staff representatives on (i) his proposals for (A) smaller desks in his Department's offices and (B) the provision in his Department of office accommodation for civil servants of another central Government department and (ii) the implications of each for the working environment in his Department;
	(2)  how many larger desks he intends to be removed from his Department's offices; how many replacement smaller desks will be ordered; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the replacement desks; and what plans he has for the desks which are to be removed;
	(3)  what size his desk is; and what the  (a) cost is and  (b) dimensions are of his proposed replacement smaller desk;
	(4)  what proportion of his Department's office accommodation he has offered to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport as office accommodation for staff of that Department; and when he expects such office accommodation to become available.

Justine Greening: The Treasury is currently considering ways to improve the usage of workspace in 1 Horse Guards Road. The aim is to increase the occupancy of the building and provide a modern, efficient and effective workspace.
	There are approximately 430 desks in use in 1 Horse Guards Road that were relocated from the Treasury's former accommodation following refurbishment of the building in 2002. There is an opportunity to replace these with a more efficient workspace solution that will free up space and enable the occupancy of the building to be increased. The intention is to advertise the availability of any suitable surplus desks to other departments.
	The Treasury is working with all other departments across Government to investigate the benefits of co-location of staff.

Departmental Internet

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason access to his Department's Spending Challenge website was temporarily suspended.

Justine Greening: The Government received over 45,000 ideas on the spending challenge public website and the vast majority were constructive and helpful. As per the site's strict moderation policy, we have been clear that offensive ideas and comments are not welcome. A dedicated team kept a close eye on content posted in order to remove the minority of ideas that were inappropriate as soon as possible.
	In response to a small number of malicious attacks we took action to disable certain interactive features on the website. These measures were designed to prevent malicious use but still allow the public to have their say on the spending challenge.

Departmental Public Consultation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to increase the involvement of young members of the public in the making of decisions that affect them taken by  (a) Ministers in his Department,  (b) officials in his Department and  (c) public bodies which fall within his Department's area of responsibility.

Justine Greening: We are determined that the spending review will be guided by our principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility. Our aim is to run an open spending review process that strengthens and unites our country by engaging and involving all parts of society, including young people, in the difficult decisions that have to be taken, whether by Ministers, officials or public bodies.
	To achieve this, the Government have undertaken a broad programme of public engagement ranging from regional visits by Ministers to the Spending Challenge website, which young members of the public are able to become involved in. Ministers from all Departments have been conducting regional visits around the country to meet local communities and to see innovative and efficient ways of delivering public services first-hand. This is one strand of the SR engagement process.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for future taxation of  (a) petrol and  (b) diesel.

Justine Greening: The Chancellor has asked the Office for Budget Responsibility to undertake an assessment over the summer of the effect of oil price fluctuations on the public finances. Informed by this assessment, the Government will examine options for the design of a fair fuel stabiliser. Any changes to the taxation of petrol and diesel would be announced in due course by the Chancellor.
	I also refer the Member for East Lothian to the answer on 9 June 2010,  Official Report, column 189W.

Families

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions about family structure the Government made in preparing the June 2010 Budget.

David Gauke: In producing the analysis in Annex A of the June 2010 Budget document the family structures used were those reported in the Expenditure and Food survey, grossed to national level estimates using factors supplied by the Office for National Statistics.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Secretary to the Treasury plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 29 July on Equitable Life.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 8 September 2010
	 I replied to the hon. Member on 4 August 2010.

Office for National Statistics

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the effect of the organisational structure of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on the  (a) collection and  (b) duplication of data provided to the ONS by the private sector.

David Gauke: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial Department, which reports directly to Parliament. As such the ONS has independence on the execution of its duties. As with other users of ONS outputs, the Treasury provides views on ONS performance and priorities through the ONS stakeholder consultation process.

Social Enterprises

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions have taken place on introduction of a social enterprise legal definition and tax relief model.

Justine Greening: The Government are committed to creating an environment in the UK which enables social enterprise to thrive.
	Like other businesses, there is no single legal form for social enterprise. No one legal form will ever be right for all social enterprises.
	Social enterprises with charitable status get tax relief on all profits generated from trading for their primary purpose and some profits from non-primary purpose trading. They are also entitled to 100% business rate relief and can claim Gift Aid on donations made to them. But these reliefs come with a heavy regulatory burden which many social enterprises find restrictive.
	Social enterprises which do not have charitable status pay taxes in the same way as other businesses. They can also benefit from the same tax reliefs available to other private businesses.

Tax Avoidance

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of tax avoidance by  (a) large businesses,  (b) small and medium-sized enterprises and  (c) individuals in the next (i) 12 months and (ii) five years.

David Gauke: No such estimates have been made.
	HMRC published the latest available estimates of the tax gap, for the year 2007-08, in December 2009 in Measuring Tax Gaps 2009
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps.pdf.

Tax Evasion

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to provide the same level of funding for advertising to highlight tax evasion as is spent on highlighting benefit fraud; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Government's spending plans, including those for HMRC, will be set out in the spending review to be published on 20 October 2010.

Tax Evasion

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce tax evasion on the part of businesses; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to combating tax evasion. HMRC set out its compliance strategy and its approach to reducing the tax gap in 'Protecting Tax Revenues 2009' available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2009/protect-tax-revenue-5450.pdf

Taxation: Alcoholic Drinks

Karl McCartney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will take steps to recover sums lost to the Exchequer in  (a) value added tax and  (b) alcohol duty arising from the sale of alcohol below cost price by supermarket chains;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the sums lost to the Exchequer in  (a) value added tax and  (b) alcohol duty arising from the sale of alcohol at below cost price by supermarket chains.

David Gauke: There is no legal basis on which HM Revenue and Customs could recover value added tax lost to the Exchequer on the sale of alcohol below cost price, and so no assessment has been made of what VAT revenue may have been lost by such marketing.
	Alcohol duty is a specific tax; duty paid does not depend on its final sale price.

Taxation: Rebates

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people his Department expects to be exempted from payment of tax arrears under Extra-Statutory Concession A19 in 2010-11.

David Gauke: Extra Statutory Concession A19 allows HMRC to forgo the collection of tax arrears in certain circumstances. The concession is available in circumstances where all the information has been provided to HMRC and it has had the opportunity to address it. Individuals can find further guidance at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/esc/esc.htm
	HMRC does not have an estimate of how many people the A19 concession will apply to in 2010-11 as each case will be considered on its own merits. The concession, which is well established, does not apply that often in practice, and I do not want people to build up their hopes that it will offer some kind of panacea; that would be unfair on taxpayers.

VAT

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much net revenue he estimates will be raised by the planned increase in value added tax.

David Gauke: Costings for measures in the June 2010 Budget can be found in Table 2.1 of Budget 2010 (HC61). Further details can be found in Annex C of that document, and in the supplementary document "Budget 2010 Policy Costings".

VAT: Publications

Paul Maynard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department plans to introduce a zero rate of value added tax on e-books.

David Gauke: While there is a long-standing zero rate of VAT for printed matter, there are no plans to extend this to e-books. Agreements with our EU partners prevent us from extending the scope of existing zero rates, or introducing new ones.

VAT: Tax Rates and Bands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on pensioners of the proposed rise in the standard rate of value added tax.

David Gauke: holding answer 27 July 2010
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Clwyd South (Susan Elan Jones) on 19 July  Official Report, column 170W.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Artist Resale Rights Regulations 2006

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department takes to monitor the level of compliance with the provisions of the Artist Resale Rights Regulations 2006 by auction houses in respect of their liabilities to make payments as agents of the seller.

Edward Davey: The collection of royalties under this legislation, such as payments by auction houses, is undertaken by the collecting societies concerned. Article 15 of the Artist Resale Rights Regulations 2006 gives the artist or his or her agent the right to obtain information about sales and applicable royalty payments. The Government undertake no such monitoring.

Banks: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent assessment is of the availability of credit to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Edward Davey: Data provided to BIS from the four main lenders to SMEs show that demand for finance remains subdued, with the number of applications for loans and overdrafts down 8% for Q2 2010 compared to Q2 2009, and over a fifth down on the corresponding quarter in 2008.
	However, approval rates have improved over the past year, to over 70% for loans and over 80% for overdrafts, for businesses with a turnover of sub £1 million. Also, there remains significant headroom in overdraft facilities, with utilisation at around 55%.
	Nevertheless, we are aware that problems still exist in the market and ensuring the flow of credit to SMEs and that customers are treated fairly is a core priority of the Government.

Banks: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with banks on the provision of loans to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Edward Davey: Ministers from BIS, including myself, as well as officials, have regular discussions with the banks both at industry wide level and bilaterally, and we continue to receive data from the banks on the demand for and supply of credit.
	Furthermore, the recent Green Paper 'Financing a private sector recovery' announced the British Bankers Association-led taskforce which will identify, analyse and review ways the banking system can, over the next three years, help viable UK businesses of all size access appropriate finance and other support. Both BIS and HMT are working closely with the taskforce, which is due to report before the spending review.

Banks: Loans

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on bank lending to small and medium-sized businesses since 22 June 2010.

Edward Davey: Ministers from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills meet regularly with their HMT counterparts, including as part of the Cabinet Committee on Banking Reform Committee, which considers issues relating to banking.

Business: Bury

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what  (a) financial and  (b) other support the North West Regional Development Agency has provided to businesses in Bury North constituency in the last three years.

Edward Davey: The Northwest regional development agency's primary business support channel, Business Link Northwest, provided support to businesses in the area on some 4,400 occasions. This included 359 businesses receiving intensive support through an adviser.
	The agency has also funded the Intensive Start-Up Support Service which has resulted in 280 business starts since September 2007, and has supported 19 companies through a range of business finance products.
	The NWDA and UKTI funded North West international trade programme has supported 99 companies. There have also been three Foreign Direct Investment projects in Bury since April 2007 which have created or safeguarded at least 20 jobs.
	Other support available includes business leadership programmes (LEAD), a programme to support high growth businesses, and mentoring for female entrepreneurs. Investment has also been undertaken to support key sectors and large companies.

Business: Bury

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to encourage the start up of new business in Bury North;
	(2)  how many small businesses ceased to operate in Bury North in the last three years; and what steps he is taking to prevent failures of small businesses.

Edward Davey: The Government are addressing the challenges that small businesses face to encourage start ups and prevent failures: providing a predictable tax system that rewards endeavour; reducing red tape; ensuring access to finance; a skilled workforce; and providing support for exports to markets around the globe.
	June's Budget announced a series of measures aimed at helping small businesses including:
	A £200 million extension to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee. In total, the EFG will now support up to £700 million in bank lending to viable small businesses.
	A new Enterprise Capital Fund to support small businesses with high growth potential-combining both Government and private sector funding.
	Confirmation of a Growth Capital Fund, to provide funding of between £2 million and £10 million for SMEs with strong growth potential.
	We are committed to introducing a "one-in one-out" rule for new regulations, sunset clauses, and an immediate review of all inherited regulation in the pipeline. We will also make it easier for small businesses to bid for public sector contracts, with an aspiration that 25% of all government procurement should be from SMEs.
	The following table shows the number of registered business deaths in Bury North parliamentary constituency in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The Office for National Statistics will publish data for 2009 on 29 November 2010.
	
		
			  Count of enterprise deaths in Bury North constituency. 2006-08. 
			   Number of enterprise deaths 
			 2006 385 
			 2007 370 
			 2008 420 
			  Note:  This does not capture businesses operating below the VAT threshold (£67,000 in 2008-09) or those that don't have a PAYE scheme.  Source:  Office for National Statistics, Business Demography 2008.

Export Credit Guarantees

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that no economic activity utilising forced or child labour benefits is undertaken by the companies in receipt of export credit guarantees.

Edward Davey: It is ECGD's policy to comply with international agreements that apply to the operations of export credit agencies. These include the OECD Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits which states that projects being supported by export credit agencies should comply with the relevant international standards, principally those of the World Bank Group, regarding their environmental impacts including social and human rights. There are no plans to change this.

Exports: Defence

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of UK defence export earnings was attributable to  (a) manufactured goods and equipment,  (b) services contracts,  (c) maintenance contracts and  (d) other sources in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the monetary value of UK defence export earnings in each of the last five years.

Edward Davey: The value of new defence export orders won by UK companies and reported to UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ billion 
			 2005 4 
			 2006 5.5 
			 2007 9.7 
			 2008 4.3 
			 2009 7.2 
		
	
	The information on new defence export orders supplied to UKTI DSO is not detailed enough to allow a confident breakdown into proportions relating to goods and services.
	The value of new business in the security sector for financial year 2008/09 was estimated at £1.4 billion.

Higher Education: Finance

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the average cost to the public purse of providing  (a) a place at university and  (b) an apprenticeship.

David Willetts: The information is as follows:
	 (a) There is no published estimate of the overall average cost to the public purse of an undergraduate university course due to differences in the definitions of which students are eligible for teaching grant and student support. Estimates are however available of expenditure per receiving student per year for each of these components separately:
	 Teaching expenditure
	In academic year 2008/09, the average teaching grant expenditure per FTE funded student (both undergraduate and postgraduate) was around £4,200 per year. This grant is distributed to institutions by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
	 Student support expenditure
	In 2008/09, around 870,000 students were awarded student support in the form of grants and/or loans. In total £1.136 billion was received in grants at an average of £1,300 per student awarded student support. Maintenance and fee loans for these students totalled £4.698 billion, which would have an average budgetary cost(1) per student awarded student support of around £1,500.
	 (b) This Department and the Department for Education allocate funds to the Skills Funding Agency for Apprenticeships in England. Spending on 16-18 and adult apprenticeships for the 2008-09 financial year is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Apprenticeship expenditure, England, 2008-09 
			   £ million 
			 16-18 apprenticeships 630 
			 19+ apprenticeships 347 
			 Total 977 
			  Source: LSC Annual Report and Accounts for 2008-09. 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide a meaningful average cost to the public purse of an apprenticeship. The public cost of delivering an apprenticeship varies significantly depending on the industry; length of the programme; whether the framework is at level 2 or 3; and the apprentice's age. For example, the Skills Funding Agency estimate that it costs around £2,700 to deliver a level 2 adult apprenticeship in business and administration and about £16,000 for an advanced apprenticeship (level 3) in engineering for a 16 to 18-year-old.
	(1) The budgetary cost represents the future cost to Government of subsidising and writing off the loans issued.

Imports: China

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects on the market price of aluminium extrusions produced in the UK of the import of aluminium extrusions from China.

Edward Davey: There has been no such assessment. Extruded aluminium is traded openly all over the world and therefore its price is subject to normal global market forces. Complaints about unfair trade in this product are a matter for the European Commission.

Members: Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Minister plans to respond to the letter of 14 July 2010 from the hon. Member for Torbay on the P52 oil drilling platform off the coast of Brazil.

Mark Prisk: The Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs responded to this letter on 8 September 2010.

National Composites Centre

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the funding arrangements are for the National Composites Centre.

Edward Davey: The Government fully support the building of the National Composites Centre (NCC). The NCC is being supported by £12 million from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and £4 million from the south west regional development agency (SWRDA). When this is combined with £9 million funding from the European Regional Development Fund, the total investment will be £25 million.

North West Regional Development Agency

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received in support of the retention of the North west regional development agency.

Edward Davey: The Department has received representations from a range of organisations from different sectors advocating retention of the North west regional development agency.

Overseas Trade: Algeria

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase trade with Algeria.

Edward Davey: UK Trade & Investment organises annual trade talks between the UK Trade Minister and his Algerian counterpart. Last talks were held in April 2010 between the then Minister of State for Trade and Investment, and Minister Temmar, Algerian Minister for Industry and Promotion of Investment. These talks form part of the UK-Algeria Ministerial Dialogue Forum which started in 2006. The talks present an opportunity to demonstrate high level commitment to our commercial relationship with Algeria on key sectors of mutual interest. In addition, the full range of UKTI services is available to companies interested in exporting to Algeria.
	A number of stakeholders including the Middle East Association (MEA), Arab British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), Construction Equipment Association (CEA) and British Expertise (BE), run events involving UK companies which include overseas trade missions, seminars, and meetings to promote opportunities in Algeria and to provide up-to-date market information. These are all run in partnership with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).
	UKTI and HMA Algiers have encouraged and supported UK business in the setting up of the UK-side Algerian British Business Council (ABBC) which is taking shape and which it is hoped will be launched in the autumn in Algeria. The purpose of the council is to enhance ties between the two countries' business communities, which will in turn increase trade and investment between the UK and Algeria.

Public Sector: Procurement

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to bring forward proposals to simplify the pre-qualification processes for public sector procurement and projects.

Francis Maude: I have been asked to reply.
	The Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group is undertaking work to further streamline the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) process, significantly reducing the number of core questions that suppliers are required to answer and ensuring that the remaining questions do not discriminate against smaller providers. This will be complemented by sector specific work, for example in the construction sector.
	This work forms a part of wider measures to streamline the entire procurement process.

Regeneration: Blackpool

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will provide funding to regeneration projects in Blackpool allocated funding from the North West Development Agency which have been adversely affected by the decision to freeze regional development agency spending allocated from funding from the European Regional Development Fund programme.

Edward Davey: No.

Regional Development Agencies: Assets

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future ownership of properties owned by regional development agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Regional development agencies (RDAs) own a range of assets which were acquired for regeneration purposes. We will be discussing with RDAs, their partners and other Departments the future ownership of these assets. We will also be agreeing with RDAs and other Departments a set of guiding principles for the disposal or transfer of assets. No final decisions have been made.

Regional Development Agencies: Local Enterprise Partnerships

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the aims and objectives are of  (a) regional development agencies and  (b) local economic partnerships.

Edward Davey: Under the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998, each agency has five statutory purposes, which are:
	To further economic development and regeneration;
	To promote business efficiency, investment and competitiveness;
	To promote employment;
	To enhance development and application of skill relevant to employment;
	To contribute to sustainable development.
	As announced in the Budget on 22 June the RDAs are being abolished and they are currently focused on closure and achieving an orderly transition to the new delivery landscape.
	The Government are committed to reforming our system of sub-national economic development. Local groups of councils and business leaders have been invited to put forward proposals for local enterprise partnerships which should include a clear vision for creating the right environment for business and growth in their areas.

Regional Development Agencies: Local Enterprise Partnerships

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the land holdings of regional development agencies will be transferred to the new local enterprise partnerships.

Edward Davey: We will be discussing with RDAs, their partners and other Departments the future ownership of RDA assets. We will also be agreeing with RDAs and other Departments a set of guiding principles for the disposal or transfer or assets. No final decisions have been made.

Self-employment: Ex-servicemen

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) current and  (b) former military personnel have (i) sought information on and (ii) received grants under his Department's Be the Boss scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Be the Boss scheme is being delivered by the Royal British Legion. The scheme is open to former members of HM Armed Forces (including members of the Reserve Forces who are not currently on active service) discharged on or after 7 October 2001.
	Since the scheme started accepting applications on 14 June 2010, there have been 255 applicants referred for information, advice and guidance, of which 11 have made applications for funding support. 2 have been successful and the remaining 9 are still awaiting a decision.
	The Be the Boss website has been viewed by over 2350 people since the start of the scheme.

Sheffield Forgemasters: Finance

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings he held with his Department's officials before taking the decision not to proceed with the loan facility to Sheffield Forgemasters; what advice he received on the withdrawal of the loan facility; what assessment his Department made of the affordability of the loan facility compared with that of other projects which were under review; and whether his Department consulted investing partners prior to the decision to withdraw the loan facility.

Edward Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement on this subject made by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on 27 July,  Official Report, column 79WS and to the memorandum submitted by the Secretary of State to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee on 10 August, which was published by the Committee on 7 September.

Skills Funding Agency

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the Skills Funding Agency awards monies in respect of contracts with a monetary value of £250,000 or less.

John Hayes: This information is held by the Skills Funding Agency. I have asked the chief executive of Skills Funding, Geoff Russell, to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 9 September 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 3 September 2010 (UIN 14500). To ask the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the Skills Funding Agency awards monies in respect of contracts with a monetary value of £250,000 or less.
	The Skills Funding Agency does currently have contracts for less than £250,000. However, the Skills Funding Agency has previously set out (in Guidance Notes 2,3,4 and 5) its intention to introduction a minimum contract level to achieve efficiencies through rationalising the number of direct contracts it manages.
	The Agency's initial plans were to introduce a minimum contract level of £250,000 by the end of the 2010/11 academic year to those organisations that only deliver Train to Gain. However, following the decision to introduce a single budget, it is no longer appropriate to implement the minimum level in this way.
	The threshold and application of the minimum contract level is therefore being considered as part of the funding consultation launched on 22nd July "A Simplified Further Education and Skills Funding System and Methodology". The level will be announced in the autumn following the consultation and is likely to be higher than the £250,000 originally planned for those only delivering Train to Gain.
	It is expected that the Agency will cease to issue direct contracts to organisations for less than the minimum contract level for 2011/12 (subject to any exceptions agreed following the consultation).

Small Businesses: Derbyshire

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to reduce the burden of regulation for small and medium-sized businesses in High Peak constituency.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) recognises the importance of SMEs to the UK economy and I can assure my hon. Friend that their considerations are at the forefront of much of the work going on in this Department at present.
	The Your Freedom website closed on 10 September-having received nearly 2,500 ideas from the public and businesses regarding burdens and red tape they would like removed. These ideas are now being examined by officials across the Government.
	Additionally, following on from the Your Freedom suggestions, BIS and the Better Regulation Executive are running a programme of regional dialogue meetings, to gather more detail from SMEs about potential solutions to particular regulations that impact on them, which we hope will improve the business environment in the UK, including my hon. Friend's constituency.

Trade Unions

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many paid officials in  (a) his Department and its agencies and  (b) non-departmental public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility are full-time trade union officials; what the total annual remuneration is for each such official; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills currently employs 3.0 full-time departmental trade union side officers at an approximate total cost of £90,000 per annum.
	The Department's agencies Companies House, Insolvency Service, Skills Funding Agency, IPO and NMO will be responding separately to this question.
	We do not centrally hold records on trade union officials employed by the non-departmental public bodies. The compilation of this information would be at a disproportionate cost.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 7 September 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 3 September 2010, UIN 13914 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House employs one paid official who is a full-time trade union official. The total annual remuneration for this official is £23,767.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 7 September 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 03/09/2010 [reference 2010/1236] to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking how many paid officials in (a) his Department and its agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility are full-time trade union officials; what the total annual remuneration is for each such official.
	The National Measurement Office does not have any full-time trade union Officials
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 7 September 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 03/09/2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The IPO does not employ any full-time trade union officials.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 9 September 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary question tabled on 3 September 2010 (UIN 13914). To ask the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many paid officials in (a) his Department and its agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility are full-time trade union officials; what the total annual remuneration is for each such official; and if he will make a statement.
	The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010 and since that date has not employed any full-time trade union officials.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 7 September 2010:
	The Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question how many paid officials in (a) his Department and its agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies within his Department's area of responsibility are full-time trade union officials; what the total annual remuneration is for each such official; and if he will make a statement.
	The Insolvency Service employs two full time trade union officials and their combined salaries total £64,660.

JUSTICE

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times restraint techniques have been used on girls held at Medway secure training centre in each month since 1998.

Crispin Blunt: All secure establishments submit monthly data on the number of restrictive physical interventions (RPIs) to the YJB. An RPI is defined as:
	"Any occasion when force is used with the intention of overpowering or to overpower a young person. Overpower is defined as 'restricting movement or mobility'".
	Restraint is only ever to be used by staff as a last resort, when all other approaches have either not succeeded or would not be appropriate.
	The YJB has only collected data against this definition since April 2007. There were 349 uses of RPI on girls at Medway during the period April 2007 to March 2009.
	The latest data available are for 2008-09. The data from 2009-10 will be available following the publication of the 2009-10 annual YJB Workload statistics.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			  Month  Number of restraints on girls  Number of girls involved in restraints 
			  2007   
			 April 19 10 
			 May 18 7 
			 June 19 11 
			 July 59 16 
			 August 22 10 
			 September 15 8 
			 October 27 12 
			 November 10 5 
			 December 13 9 
			
			  2008   
			 January 11 6 
			 February 4 2 
			 March 2 1 
			 April 15 11 
			 May 7 5 
			 June 7 7 
			 July 15 7 
			 August 16 10 
			 September 21 8 
			 October 9 7 
			 November 5 4 
			 December 11 5 
			
			  2009   
			 January 4 3 
			 February 7 5 
			 March 13 9

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) injuries and  (b) injuries requiring external medical treatment were sustained during restraint incidents on girls held in Medway secure training centre in each month since 1998.  [Official Report, 26 October 2010, Vol. 517, c. 1MC.]

Crispin Blunt: The YJB has collected data since April 2007 showing the number of injuries in each category, but this data is not broken down by gender.
	The definitions for these categories are:
	 Minor injury requiring medical treatment
	This includes cuts, scratches, grazes, blood noses, concussion, serious bruising and sprains where medical treatment is given by a member of staff or a nurse. Treatment could include cleaning and dressing wounds, providing pain relief, and monitoring symptoms by a health professional (e.g. in relation to concussion). This includes first aid administered by a staff member.
	 Serious injury requiring hospital treatment
	This includes serious cuts, fractures, loss of consciousness and damage to internal organs. Where 24-hour health care is available the young person may remain onsite. At other establishments, the young person will be taken to a local hospital. Treatment will reflect the more serious nature of the injuries sustained and may include stitches, re-setting bones, operations and providing overnight observation.
	It is currently a contractual requirement for any young person within an STC who has been restrained to be visited by a registered nurse within thirty minutes following the use of restraint.
	The latest data available is for 2008-09 and is provided in the table as follows. The data from 2009-10 will be available following the publication of the 2009-10 annual YJB Workload statistics.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			  Number of injuries sustained during restraint incidents by severity of injury 
			   Minor injury-requiring medical treatment  Serious injury-requiring hospital treatment 
			 April 2007 7 0 
			 May 2007 8 0 
			 June 2007 4 0 
			 July 2007 13 0 
			 August 2007 2 0 
			 September 2007 3 0 
			 October 2007 3 0 
			 November 2007 7 0 
			 December 2007 4 0 
			
			 January 2008 7 0 
			 February 2008 4 0 
			 March 2008 5 0 
			 April 2008 1 0 
			 May 2008 2 0 
			 June 2008 3 0 
			 July 2008 1 0 
			 August 2008 1 0 
			 September 2008 3 0 
			 October 2008 4 0 
			 November 2008 4 0 
			 December 2008 3 0 
			
			 January 2009 1 0 
			 February 2009 4 0 
			 March 2009 7 0

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions  (a) boys and  (b) girls have been held in solitary confinement at Medway secure training centre in each month since 1998.

Crispin Blunt: The practice of "solitary confinement" is not one that takes place in STCs. There is provision in the STC rules for removal from association which can be used in the following circumstances and is limited to a maximum of three continuous hours or an aggregate of three hours within any 24 hour period:
	Prevention of harm to themselves or others;
	Prevention of significant damage to property.
	The YJB has collected data on the use of single separation since April 2007. The number of incidents of single separation since April 2007 is outlined in the table.
	The latest data available are for 2008-09. The data from 2009-10 will be available following the publication of the 2009-10 annual YJB Workload statistics.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			  Incidents of single separation 
			   Boys  Girls 
			  2007   
			 April 15 8 
			 May 22 8 
			 June 15 4 
			 July 29 14 
			 August 22 13 
			 September 22 5 
			 October 23 4 
			 November 28 7 
			 December 32 4 
			
			  2008   
			 January 24 4 
			 February 22 1 
			 March 22 2 
			 April 18 7 
			 May 10 3 
			 June 13 3 
			 July 13 6 
			 August 4 9 
			 September 8 7 
			 October 12 6 
			 November 4 2 
			 December 5 11 
			
			  2009   
			 January 8 3 
			 February 25 3 
			 March 51 7

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints were made by children held at Medway secure training centre in each year since 1998; and what the outcome of the complaint was in each case.

Crispin Blunt: The YJB does not collect this data centrally. Medway STC has collected data since 2001 on the total number of complaints, and at what level complaints were resolved. This data is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Total complaints 195 227 321 651 541 486 694 490 376 170 
			 Stage 1 resolved 175 223 318 649 530 455 624 435 345 162 
			 Stage 2 resolved 10 3 0 1 5 5 12 11 2 0 
			 Stage 3 resolved 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Withdrawn 10 1 3 1 5 26 58 44 29 8

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of self-harm by children of each  (a) sex and  (b) age group were recorded at Medway secure training centre in each month since April 1998; and how many such incidents required external medical assistance.

Crispin Blunt: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) requires every establishment to report all incidents of self-harm on a monthly basis. Self-harm is defined as
	"any act by which a young person deliberately harms themselves irrespective of the method, intent, or severity of the injury."
	The YJB has collected data against this definition since April 2007. The number of self-harm incidents since April 2007 by  (a) gender and  (b) age is outlined in the tables 1 and 2 as follows. The third table shows the number of incidents requiring external medical assistance.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			  Incidents of self harm by gender 
			   Male  Female 
			 April 2007 12 17 
			 May 2007 1 10 
			 June 2007 6 8 
			 July 2007 5 24 
			 August 2007 5 26 
			 September 2007 6 18 
			 October 2007 5 13 
			 November 2007 9 3 
			 December 2007 4 1 
			 January 2008 4 2 
			 February 2008 1 1 
			 March 2008 5 0 
			 April 2008 7 2 
			 May 2008 6 1 
			 June 2008 4 7 
			 July 2008 4 7 
			 August 2008 4 7 
			 September 2008 0 7 
			 October 2008 2 4 
			 November 2008 0 6 
			 December 2008 0 2 
			 January 2009 3 2 
			 February 2009 3 5 
			 March 2009 4 6 
		
	
	
		
			  Incidents of self harm by age 
			   11  12  13  14  15  16  17 
			 April 2008 0 0 0 6 2 0 1 
			 May 2008 0 0 0 2 0 0 5 
			 June 2008 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 
			 July 2008 0 0 0 0 7 2 2 
			 August 2008 0 0 0 0 7 2 2 
			 September 2008 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 
			 October 2008 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 
			 November 2008 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 
			 December 2008 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 January 2009 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 
			 February 2009 0 0 0 1 4 2 0 
			 March 2009 0 0 0 1 3 5 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of self harm incidents requiring hospital treatment 
			   Number 
			 April 2007 0 
			 May 2007 1 
			 June 2007 0 
			 July 2007 0 
			 August 2007 1 
			 September 2007 0 
			 October 2007 0 
			 November 2007 1 
			 December 2007 0 
			 January 2008 0 
			 February 2008 0 
			 March 2008 0 
			 April 2008 0 
			 May 2008 0 
			 June 2008 0 
			 July 2008 0 
			 August 2008 0 
			 September 2008 0 
			 October 2008 0 
			 November 2008 0 
			 December 2008 0 
			 January 2009 0 
			 February 2009 0 
			 March 2009 2

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many suicide attempts of children of each  (a) sex and  (b) age group were recorded at Medway secure training centre in each month since April 1998.

Crispin Blunt: The YJB collect data on self-harm incidents centrally, but do not specifically collect data on suicide attempts. Medway STC defines serious incidents of self-harm and suicide attempts as
	"any incident of self harm or suicide attempt that has resulted in the requirement of external medical treatment (out-patient or emergency)".
	Using this definition, there have been two incidents, the first involving a 16-year-old female in December 2006 and the second involving a 16-year-old female in August 2007.

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children held at Medway secure training centre were referred to hospital for psychiatric treatment in each year since 1998.

Crispin Blunt: The Youth Justice Board does not collect this data centrally. Records from Medway STC indicate that one young person was referred to hospital for psychiatric treatment in 2006.

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children held at Medway secure training centre were transferred to a psychiatric hospital in each year since 1998; and what the average time taken from referral to transfer was in each year.

Crispin Blunt: The Youth Justice Board does not collect this data centrally. Records from Medway STC indicate that two young people have been transferred to a psychiatric hospital. These involved a young male in July 2006 and a young female in July 2009. The time frame for referrals is subject to variables relating to the establishment's psychiatric assessment process and liaison with external agencies.

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many 
	(1)  boys entering Medway secure training centre were assessed as vulnerable on entrance in each month since April 1998;
	(2)  girls received into Medway secure training centre were assessed as vulnerable on placement in each month of each year since 1998.

Crispin Blunt: The electronic records that the YJB holds centrally are unable to provide this information. This is due to the fact that the data are sourced from live management information which is frequently updated as new information is provided to the YJB from youth offending teams. Vulnerability is an imprecise term as it can cover a broad range of characteristics and behaviours. As part of the placement process information on the risk a young person may pose to themselves or others in a secure setting is taken into account when determining the placement.

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times restraint has been used on boys held at Medway secure training centre in each month of each year since 1998.

Crispin Blunt: All secure establishments submit monthly data on the number of Restrictive Physical Interventions (RPIs) to the YJB. An RPI is defined as:
	Any occasion when force is used with the intention of overpowering or to overpower a young person. Overpower is defined as "restricting movement or mobility".
	Restraint is only ever to be used by staff as a last resort, when all other approaches have either not succeeded or would not be appropriate.
	The YJB has only collected data against this definition since April 2007. There were 936 uses of RPI on boys at Medway during the period April 2007 to March 2009.
	The latest data available is for 2008-09 and is shown in the table as follows. The data from 2009-10 will be available following the publication of the 2009-10 annual YJB work load statistics.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			   Number of restraints on boys  Number of boys involved in restraint 
			 April 2007 49 22 
			 May 2007 62 20 
			 June 2007 47 22 
			 July 2007 87 25 
			 August 2007 59 21 
			 September 2007 38 17 
			 October 2007 54 24 
			 November 2007 57 24 
			 December 2007 62 25 
			 January 2008 64 24 
			 February 2008 32 18 
			 March 2008 39 21 
			 April 2008 12 5 
			 May 2008 19 11 
			 June 2008 32 15 
			 July 2008 30 12 
			 August 2008 14 9 
			 September 2008 13 9 
			 October 2008 32 15 
			 November 2008 16 11 
			 December 2008 15 12 
			 January 2009 9 5 
			 February 2009 36 15 
			 March 2009 58 17

Cookham Wood Secure Training Centre

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children received into Medway secure training centre had previously been assessed as a child in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 in each year since April 1998.

Crispin Blunt: The Youth Justice Board do not hold this data centrally. Medway STC hold this information on individuals on their files, but this could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Custodial Treatment: Burglary

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of those convicted of offences related to burglary have received custodial sentences in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The requested information is shown in the table as follows.
	The table shows the percentage of persons sentenced for an offence of burglary who received an immediate custodial sentence from 2004 to 2008. The figures have been shown as a percentage of those sentenced rather than convicted as due to lags in time between conviction and sentencing the number convicted and sentenced in a year may not match.
	This information is published annually in table 2.12 of Sentencing Statistics, available from the Ministry of Justice website. Figures for 2009 are due to be published on 21 October 2010.
	
		
			  Number of persons sentenced, sentenced to immediate custody and percentage given immediate custody for burglary, 2004 - 08 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Total number sentenced 24,133 22,652 22,675 23,549 23,651 
			 Total sentenced to immediate custody 10,814 9,550 9,229 9,237 9,960 
			 Percentage of persons sentenced given immediate custody 44.8 42.2 40.7 39.2 42.1 
			  Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  2. These data have been taken from the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings database. These data are presented on the principal offence basis. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe.  3. Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008.

Custodial Treatment: Rape

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of a custodial sentence imposed in respect of rape offences was in each year since 2005.

Crispin Blunt: The average custodial sentence lengths (ACSL) for rape offences in England and Wales in each year since 2005 are shown in the following table. ACSL 'excludes' life/indeterminate sentences, the number of indeterminate and determinate sentences in each year is also shown.
	Data for 2009 is due to be published on 21 October 2010.
	
		
			  Average custodial sentence length (ACSL)( 1) , (months) for rape offences( 2) , 2005-08 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 ACSL 81.7 81.1 85.4 90.3 
			  
			 Number of determinate sentences 673 602 607 669 
			 Number of indeterminate sentences(3) 74 202 214 196 
			 Total sentenced to immediate custody 747 804 821 865 
			 (1) ACSL excludes life/indeterminate sentences. (2) Includes attempted rape. (3) Life sentences and indeterminate sentences for public protection.  Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 2. This data has been taken from the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings database. This data is presented on the principal offence basis. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence, the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences, the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe.  Source: Justice Statistics: Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice.

Driving Offences: Disqualification

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were serving custodial sentences for driving while disqualified at the latest date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: As at July 2010, the most recent available data, there were 49 prisoners serving custodial sentences for driving while disqualified offences.
	The figures are a further breakdown of those in Table 2 of the Ministry of Justice Statistics bulletin "Population in custody, July 2010 England and Wales" and available at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Legal Aid Scheme: Contracts

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions his Department has had with the Legal Services Commission on the number of legal aid contracts granted in the recent tendering round; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: Ministry of Justice officials have kept in close contact with officials at the Legal Services Commission (LSC) throughout the tender process for new civil legal aid contracts. The tender process for the 2010 Standard Civil Contracts run by the LSC will be complete only once all appeals have been dealt with and necessary pre-contract verification checks have finished, which the LSC anticipate will be by the end of September.

Legal Aid Scheme: Washington Tyne and Wear

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legal practices in Washington and Sunderland West constituency have been awarded contracts to provide family legal aid services commencing October 2010; what estimate he has made of the number of cases those practices will be able to take on under such contracts; and what the monetary value of each such contract is.

Jonathan Djanogly: The tender process for new contracts is not yet complete and therefore the Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not currently hold this information in final form. The tender process will conclude once the appeals process is complete and validation checks on successful applicants have taken place, which the LSC anticipate will be by the end of September. It is intended that details of legal aid providers, split by area, will be published on the LSC website at:
	www.legalservices.gov.uk
	This information will include details of matter start allocations for each provider.

Legal Aid Scheme: Washington Tyne and Wear

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legal practices in Washington and Sunderland West constituency are under contract to the Legal Services Commission to provide family legal aid services; how many legal aid cases those practices have taken on during the current contract period; and what the monetary value of each such contract is.

Jonathan Djanogly: There are five legal practices within the Washington and Sunderland West constituency currently under contract to provide family legal aid services and 187 new matters were started between the start of the contract period in April 2010 and 1 September 2010. The total claims value for these contracts is £42,379.32.

Prison Accommodation

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what account his Department took of the extent of existing spare capacity in the juvenile prison estate when taking the decision to commission additional prison places.

Crispin Blunt: We have regular discussions with the Youth Justice Board over the configuration of the custodial estate, in light of their commissioning plans and the supply and demand across the estate as a whole. Decisions on the role and function of the estate, including the need for additional places, would take account of those discussions.

Prisoners' Release: Reoffenders

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of those released from a custodial sentence have re-offended in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The information requested is presented as follows.
	Table 1 shows the number and one year reoffending rate of adult offenders who were released from custody in the first quarter of each of the last five years that data are available for.
	
		
			  Table 1:  N umber of offenders and one year reoffending rate for offenders released from custody in the first quarter of each of the last five years 
			   Number of offenders  Proportion of offenders who reoffend in one year follow up period (%) 
			 2004 Q1 15,749 51.9 
			 2005 Q1 14,579 49.1 
			 2006 Q1 14,364 46.5 
			 2007 Q1 12,810 47.2 
			 2008 Q1 16,099 49.4 
		
	
	Further information on adult reoffending is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Prisons: Restraint Techniques

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the Physical Control in Care Manual used by the Prison Service.

Crispin Blunt: A copy of the 2010 Physical Control in Care manual and the 2010 Personal Protection manual have been placed in the House Library.

Youth Custody

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children of each age and sex were received into  (a) secure training centres,  (b) local authority secure units and  (c) young offender institutions in each of the last 10 years.

Crispin Blunt: The following tables show the number of custodial episodes started by year from 2001-02 to 2008-09 by age and gender who were received into secure children's homes, secure training centres and young offender institutions.
	An episode refers to a period a young person has spent in custody and it is possible that one young person can start more than one custodial episode at different points of each year for different offences or for changes in legal basis for detention, such as remand to sentence.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			  Children received into secure establishments 
			  Establishment type  Age  2001 - 02  2002 - 03  2003 - 04  2004 - 05  2005 - 06  2006 - 07  2007 - 08  2008 - 09 
			 Secure children's homes 10 - 1 - 1 - - - - 
			  11 1 - 2 1 1 - - - 
			  12 74 46 58 52 57 38 32 39 
			  13 176 167 159 128 179 216 192 140 
			  14 444 473 490 367 363 495 395 382 
			  15 220 214 208 164 144 165 185 162 
			  16 146 118 131 101 135 120 116 113 
			  17 6 - 2 2 8 7 7 8 
			  Total 1,067 1,019 1,050 816 887 1,041 927 844 
			   
			 Secure training centres 10 - - - - - - - - 
			  11 1 - - - - - - - 
			  12 13 10 14 10 3 2 3 2 
			  13 79 102 88 77 73 24 30 51 
			  14 256 283 291 353 417 391 403 332 
			  15 80 161 234 241 258 340 308 328 
			  16 34 88 166 208 280 346 300 346 
			  17 1 1 4 5 14 49 38 35 
			  Total 464 645 797 894 1,045 1,152 1,082 1,094 
			   
			 Young offender institutions 10 - 1 - - - - - - 
			  11 - - - - - - - - 
			  12 1 4 - - - - - - 
			  13 - - - - - - - - 
			  14 16 12 10 4 2 2 4 4 
			  15 1,632 1,573 1,445 1,459 1,541 1,658 1,496 1,316 
			  16 3,150 3,136 2,910 2,880 3,187 3,114 3,157 2,891 
			  17 6,754 6,345 5,994 6,026 6,065 6,331 6,235 5,981 
			  Total 11,553 11,071 10,359 10,369 10,795 11,105 10,892 10,192 
		
	
	
		
			  Establishment type  Gender  2001 - 02  2002 - 03  2003 - 04  2004 - 05  2005 - 06  2006 - 07  2007 - 08  2008 - 09 
			 Secure children's homes Female 202 194 184 147 215 178 220 200 
			  Male 865 825 866 669 672 863 707 644 
			  Total 1,067 1,019 1,050 816 887 1,041 927 844 
			   
			 Secure training centres Female 71 178 275 327 395 530 426 447 
			  Male 393 467 522 567 650 622 656 647 
			  Total 464 645 797 894 1,045 1,152 1,082 1,094 
			   
			 Young offender institutions Female 554 505 404 390 425 390 415 371 
			  Male 10,999 10,566 9,955 9,979 10,370 10,715 10,477 9,821 
			  Total 11,553 11,071 10,359 10,369 10,795 11,105 10,892 10,192

Youth Justice Board

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has for the future of the Youth Justice Board; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Government are looking at all arms length bodies and considering whether they should be retained. The Youth Justice Board (YJB) is included in this process. Under the previous Government a review of the YJB was undertaken and we are looking at the recommendations of that review as part of this process.
	The YJB has an important aim to prevent offending by children and young people. As part of the rehabilitation revolution, the Government intend to do everything possible to ensure the best outcomes for young people, their families and communities.

CABINET OFFICE

Census

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the estimated cost will be of the 2011 Census.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As the Director General for the Office for National Statistics I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the estimated cost will be of the 2011 Census. (13802)
	The most recent estimated total cost of the 2011 Census in England and Wales is £482 million. This covers the period 2005-2016.
	The cost and financial control of the 2011 Census was outlined in the White Paper 'Helping to shape tomorrow' which was published in December 2008 and is available on the website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/legislation/index.html

Civil Servants: Sunderland

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of civil servants employed by  (a) Government departments,  (b) executive agencies and  (c) other Government bodies whose primary place of employment was in Washington and Sunderland West constituency on the latest date for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the number of civil servants employed by (a) Government departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) other Government bodies, whose primary place of employment was in Washington and Sunderland West constituency on the latest date for which figures are available. (14614)
	Civil Service Statistics are published annually by the Office for National Statistics on the National Statistics website. The latest published statistics are for March 2009:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/cs0110.pdf
	The numbers of civil servants employed by Government departments, executive agencies and other Government bodies by constituency are not available. Figures for Washington and Sunderland West constituency cannot be provided.

Government Departments: Computer Software

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps are being taken to encourage the procurement of open source software in Government Departments; and what estimate has been made of the savings which could be made by transferring to open source software.

Francis Maude: The Government are committed to using more open source solutions where possible.
	The Cabinet Office along with the Office of Government Commerce are working on "Guidance for Procurers" specifically covering open source software. A key principle is that Government will actively and fairly consider open source solutions alongside proprietary ones in making procurement decisions.
	Procurement decisions will be made on the basis of the best value for money solution to the business requirement, taking account of total cost of ownership of the solution.
	Where there is no significant overall cost difference between open and non-open source products, open source will be selected on the basis of its additional inherent flexibility.
	No estimates on the likely level of savings that will accrue from transferring to open source software have been made. While more open procurement can undoubtedly save money, it is difficult to ascertain precise cost savings from open source software alone as it is one element in the overall solution.

Life Expectancy: Gateshead

Ian Mearns: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average  (a) male and  (b) female life expectancy was in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2000.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the average (a) male and (b) female life expectancy was in Gateshead constituency in each year since 2000. (13438)
	Period life expectancies at birth for (a) males and (b) females for all local authority districts and unitary authorities in England and Wales, for rolling three-year periods from 1991-93 to 2006-08, are published on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=8841
	Life expectancy figures at parliamentary constituency level are not readily available.

Lone Parents

Helen Grant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of single parent families resident in  (a) Maidstone and the Weald constituency,  (b) Greater London and  (c) England and Wales.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your request asking what recent estimate has been made of the number of single parent families resident in (a) Maidstone and The Weald constituency, (b) Greater London and (c) England and Wales. (14726)
	The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
	The latest available figures are for 2008 and are shown in the table below. The estimate for Maidstone and The Weald is based on the 2008 parliamentary constituency boundary. In 2008 the constituency had 18 wards, three fewer than now. The breakdown of the data available is not sufficiently detailed to determine whether the newly constituted parliamentary constituency contains the same estimated number of lone parents as the 2008 constituency. The boundaries of Greater London and England and Wales have not changed since 2008.
	
		
			   Thousand 
			  Geographical area  Number of lone parent families- with at least one child under 16 
			 Maidstone and The Weald constituency (2008) 3 
			 Greater London 265 
			 England and Wales 1,481 
			  Source: APS January to December 2008

Lone Parents: Washington Tyne and Wear

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents there are in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your request asking how many lone parents there are in Washington and Sunderland West constituency. (14251)
	The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for lone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
	The latest available figures are for 2008 and are shown in the table below. These are based on 2008 parliamentary constituency boundaries. Washington and Sunderland West constituency did not exist in 2008. It was formed from five (out of 13) wards from the former Gateshead East and Washington West constituency, two (out of nine) wards from the former Sunderland North constituency and one (out of 11) wards from the former Sunderland South constituency. The breakdown of the data available is not sufficiently detailed to determine whether the newly constituted parliamentary constituency contains the same estimated number of lone parents as the 2008 constituencies.
	
		
			   Thousand 
			  Geographical area  Number of lone parent families-with at least one child under 16 
			 Gateshead East and Washington West constituency (2008) 2 
			 Sunderland North constituency (2008) 3 
			 Sunderland South constituency (2008) 3 
			  Source: APS January to December 2008

Population

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Office for National Statistics used the building targets in regional spatial strategies when drawing up revised population projections.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking whether the Office for National Statistics uses the building targets in Regional Spatial Strategies, when drawing up revised population projections.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not use building targets in the production of population projections. The subnational projections are trend-based, making assumptions about future levels of fertility, mortality and migration based on recent levels observed over a five-year reference period with the total population of England controlled to the national population projection's. Therefore, they give an indication of what the future population, by age and sex structure, might be if recent trends continue, and take no account of regional policy or development aims.

Public Sector: Procurement

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will bring forward proposals for a register of companies contracted by public sector bodies to provide goods and services which records their performance in meeting the requirements of such contracts.

Francis Maude: Departments can and do take into account a supplier's track record when undertaking public procurements. To date, Government have not ranked supplier performances centrally, but this Government are committed to put mechanisms in place to achieve this. The Government are committed to publishing all new central Government contracts from January 2011 which will give supplier names and information contract costs.

Select Committees: Public Appointments

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made on strengthening the powers of select committees to scrutinise major public appointments.

Francis Maude: Increasing parliamentary scrutiny of major public appointments is a key Government commitment and an essential part of our wider programme of public bodies' reform. I will be writing to the chair of the Liaison Committee shortly to set out our proposals.

Teenage Pregnancy: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many pregnancies there were among women aged 15 to 17 years living in Peterborough constituency in 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for. the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many pregnancies there were among women aged 15 to 17 years living in Peterborough constituency in 2009. (15383)
	Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions: They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
	Information on conceptions is routinely published for local authorities and strategic health authorities. This information is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=15055
	Because of the confidentiality of data on abortions and stillbirths figures on conceptions are not published for small areas. Figures cannot be provided by parliamentary constituency because of the risk of disclosing such information.

Unemployment: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many children were living in workless households in Peterborough constituency in  (a) 2001,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many children were living in workless households in Peterborough constituency in (a) 2001, (b) 2005 and (c) 2009. (14623)
	The figures requested come from the Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets. These are currently only available for 2004 to 2008, therefore 2001 and 2009 are not available. Due to the small sample size of the APS at constituency level it is not possible to provide reliable estimates for Peterborough constituency. However, the attached table shows estimates for Peterborough local authority which has a larger sample size. The table provides information for 2005 and 2008.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty as different samples give different results. These estimates are such that there is 95 per cent certainty that from all samples possible they will lie within the lower and upper bounds.
	
		
			  Table: Children( 1)  living in workless households( 2)  in Peterborough local authority 
			  Thousand 
			   Estimate  Lower bound( 3)  Upper bound( 3) 
			 January to December 2005 6.6 4.5 8.7 
			 January to December 2008 5.5 36 7.4 
			 (1 )Children refers to children under 16. (2 )Households including at least one person aged 16 to 64. (3 )95% confidence interval which means that from all samples possible there would be 95 per cent certainty that the true estimate would lie within the lower and upper bounds.  Source:  APS household datasat.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of people aged between 11 and 20-years-old who died from alcohol-related conditions in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in each age group who died from alcohol poisoning in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in each age group who died by drowning where alcohol consumption was a causal factor in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in each age group who died in cases where alcohol was a causal factor in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in each age group who died from asphyxiation where alcohol was a causal factor in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking:
	(a) what estimate has been made of the number of people aged between 11 and 20 years old who died from alcohol-related harm in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15298)
	(b) what estimate has been made of the number of people in each age group who died from alcohol poisoning in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15299)
	(c) what estimate has been made of the number of people in each age group who died by drowning where alcohol consumption was a causal factor in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15300)
	(d) what estimate has been made of the number of people in each age group who died in cases where alcohol was a causal factor in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15302)
	(e) what estimate has been made of the number of people in each age group who died from asphyxiation where alcohol was a causal factor in each year since 1999 for which figures are available. (15303)
	The tables show for England and Wales, 1999 to 2009 (the latest year available), (a) the number of deaths where the underlying cause of death was alcohol-related, for persons aged 11 to 20 years (Table .1), (b) the number of deaths where alcohol poisoning was the underlying cause of death, by age group (Table 2) and (d) the number of deaths where the underlying cause was alcohol-related, by age group (Table 3). The tables will also be placed in the House of Commons Library.
	The National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths only includes those causes regarded as being most directly due to alcohol consumption. It includes all deaths from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (excluding biliary cirrhosis), even when alcohol is not specifically mentioned on the death certificate. Apart from deaths due to alcohol poisoning, the definition does not include deaths from external causes, for example, accidents where drinking might have been a contributory factor.
	It is not possible to provide figures for deaths involving drowning (c) or asphyxiation (e) where alcohol consumption was a causal factor since internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires only those conditions that contributed directly to the death to be recorded on the death certificate. Doctors and coroners are not required to record whether or not the deceased had consumed alcohol.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish his Department's Local Alcohol Profiles for England; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Local alcohol profiles for England are published on the North West Public Health Observatory website:
	www.nwph.net/alcohol/lape/
	and are available by local authority and by primary care trust.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what analysis has been undertaken by his Department of the age profile of people who are alcoholics.

Anne Milton: The adult psychiatric morbidity survey, 'Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England, 2007', covering adults living in private households in England was produced, under contract with the NHS Information Centre for health and social care, and published in January 2009 includes information on the prevalence of alcohol use and dependency by age, sex, ethnicity and other factors. A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library.
	The survey of psychiatric morbidity among adults in private households in Great Britain was first carried out in 1993 with a second survey conducted in 2000. In 2007, The NHS Information Centre commissioned the National Centre for Social Research to carry out a third adult psychiatric morbidity survey covering adults living in private households in England. The survey assessed alcohol dependence from answers to a different self-completion questionnaire which consisted of 20 questions focusing on the three components of dependence: loss of control, symptomatic behaviour and binge drinking.

Babies: Health Education

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will take steps to improve the provision of information to new parents on illnesses including heart disease where early detection improves survival rates.

Anne Milton: We have no plans to do so because information is already available online on the Pregnancy Care Planner.
	This is an interactive tool on the NHS Choices website, based on the NHS Pregnancy Book. It provides complete guidance to pregnancy, childbirth and first few weeks with a new baby. In particular, there is a section that helps new parents to understand how a healthy heart works, how congenital heart disease can affect their child's heart and general health and explains the causes of congenital heart diseases.
	In addition, The Birth to Five interactive tool on NHS Choices, based on the NHS Birth to Five book, provides advice for mothers and fathers on becoming a parent, taking care of themselves and their child and where to find practical help and support.

Blood: Contamination

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the implementation of the recommendations of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee and the National Blood Service on independent efficacy trials for blood filtering and prion filtration; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Since 2007, the UK Blood Services on the basis of the recommendations of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, have awarded external contracts for independent trials of the efficacy of prion filters. Results have been made available to the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO), the Department of Health and the manufacturer as they have become available, and these trials continue. The UK Blood Services are also conducting clinical safety trials of prion filters in patients. SaBTO will review data from these studies as they become available and make recommendations based on these. The Department will consider any further measures recommended by SaBTO.

Cancer: Drugs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what types of cancer treatment will be eligible for funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund in April 2011;
	(2)  whether non-pharmacological anti-cancer treatments will be included for funding from  (a) the interim Cancer Drugs Fund and  (b) the Cancer Drugs Fund;
	(3)  what mechanism will be used to obtain funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund in April 2011;
	(4)  what plans he has for the process of implementation of the Cancer Drugs Fund by April 2011.

Simon Burns: Decisions on the design of the Cancer Drugs Fund from April 2011 will be taken following public consultation. We intend to consult on our plans shortly.
	Regional panels, led by clinical experts, will decide on the use of the additional funding made available to the NHS in 2010-11 to support improved access to cancer drugs. Guidance issued to strategic health authorities by the National Health Service Medical Director recommends that the primary focus of the funding should be on improving access to cancer drugs, which can include radiopharmaceuticals.
	A copy of this guidance has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_117996

Cerebral Palsy: Gateshead

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children resident in Gateshead have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy in each year since 2000.

Paul Burstow: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Dental Services: Gateshead

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of residents of Gateshead constituency (i) registered with a GP and (ii) with access to an NHS dentist.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. The information that is available is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of general practitioner (GP) registrations in the Gateshead primary care trust (PCT) area, as at 30 September 2009 
			   Number of GP registrations 
			 Gateshead PCT 205,068 
			  Notes: 1. The GP census collection contains data by trust level only. Gateshead constituency is serviced by Gateshead PCT. 2. Data are for the number of GP patient registrations shown on the annual GP census collection as at 30 September 2009. It should be noted that this may be higher than resident population in the given area due to multiple registrations/GP systems not being fully up-to-date and patients allowed to register with GPs outside their local PCT. Owing to this, proportions of numbers registered (and not registered) cannot be accurately calculated by dividing the numbers presented here by resident population statistics. 3. The numbers shown here represent GP patient registrations to national health service GPs only. 4. The Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed.  Source: General and Personal Medical Services Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of patients seen in the previous 24 months by an NHS dentist in the Gateshead PCT area, and as a percentage of the population, as at 30 June 2010 (including orthodontic patients) 
			   Number of patients seen in the previous 24 months  Patients seen in the previous 24 months as a percentage of the population 
			 Gateshead PCT 117,488 61.6 
			  Notes: 1. Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') over a 24-month period. 2. The NHS dental statistics contain data by trust level only. Gateshead constituency is serviced by Gateshead PCT. 3. Patients seen are allocated to a PCT via the dentist which they attend for treatment and not by the home postcode of the patient. Most patients will live within the PCT in which they receive primary care dental services, but some will attend a dentist further afield (near their place of employment, for example).  Source: NHS Dental Statistics for England 2009-10, The Information Centre for health and social care

Epilepsy

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many epilepsy specialist nurse  (a) posts and  (b) full-time equivalent staff there were in the NHS in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2008-09, (iii) 2009-10 and (iv) 2010-11.

Paul Burstow: The number of epilepsy specialist nurse posts and full-time equivalent staff are not held centrally, as they are not separately identifiable in the Non Medical Workforce Census available from the NHS Information Centre.

Food: Cloning

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) evaluation and  (b) authorisation is required for the marketing of (i) foodstuffs and (ii) milk produced from cloned animals.

Anne Milton: Any food obtained from cloned animals is regulated as a "novel food" under regulation (EC) No. 258/97(1). According to this regulation, novel foods may not be marketed in the European Union without an authorisation. Applications for authorisation of novel foods are evaluated by national authorities against criteria of safety, nutritional quality and not misleading the consumer. The Food Standards Agency is the competent authority for novel foods in the United Kingdom and expert advice on applications is provided by the independent Advisory Committee on novel foods and processes. This advice would form the basis of the agency's risk assessment which would be subject to review by all 26 other EU member states before an authorisation is issued. To date, the agency has not received any applications for the authorisation of food produced from cloned animals.
	(1) Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients.

General Practitioners

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's proposals for GP commissioning, whether the Government plan to encourage competition for healthcare provision between existing NHS providers and private providers.

Simon Burns: 'The Coalition: our programme for government' sets out a commitment to give every patient the power to choose any health care provider that meets national health service standards, within NHS prices. This includes independent, voluntary and community sector providers.
	In addition the White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' set out the proposals to create an economic regulator for the health and social care sectors. A key responsibility of the regulator will be to ensure that competition works effectively in the interests of patients and taxpayer.

General Practitioners

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's proposals for GP commissioning, what will happen if a GP practice fails to achieve the quality and financial standards needed to make it viable; and how such a failing GP practice will be managed.

Simon Burns: Where a general practitioner (GP) practice is unable to meet its contractual commitments, the NHS Commissioning Board would be responsible for making decisions about the actions it might take, under existing GP contractual arrangements, to rectify the position. This can range from putting in additional temporary support arrangements to termination of a contract because of serious and substantive breach of the contract.

General Practitioners

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer of 7 September 2010, which organisations he expects to take a lead on recent reconfigurations of  (a) maternity,  (b) cancer and  (c) other health services not subject to a national framework in conurbations which will be covered by more than one GP consortium; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: holding answer 13 September 2010
	 The White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS", set out the Government's intention to devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to local consortia of general practitioner (GP) practices. Decisions taken now about the reconfiguration of services should therefore be consistent with commissioning intentions for the future.
	We expect that, in most cases, local GP commissioners will lead the reconfiguration process, working in partnership with providers, local authorities, patients and the public. Consortia will have the freedom to decide which aspects of commissioning activity they undertake fully themselves and which aspects require collaboration across several consortia, for example where proposed reconfigurations cross consortia boundaries. As existing consortia structures vary across the country, and until GP commissioning arrangements are fully established, primary care trusts will have an important role in supporting practices to prepare for these new arrangements.

General Practitioners

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has sent a copy of the consultation document Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for Patients to every GP practice in England.

Simon Burns: "Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for Patients" was published on the Department's website on 22 July. The Department has issued notification of and provided links to the White Paper and related consultation documents, including "Commissioning for Patients", through targeted publications, including the July edition of the "GP and Practice Bulletin".
	This information was also provided to local NHS communications teams to share with their local general practitioner community and to professional bodies including the Royal College of GPs, the British Medical Association, NHS Alliance and National Association of Primary Care among others.

Health Professions: Insurance

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to respond to the recommendations of the Finlay Scott Review on the requirement to have insurance or indemnity as a condition of registration as a healthcare professional.

Anne Milton: Finlay Scott has delivered his report "Independent review of requirement to have insurance or indemnity as a condition of registration as a healthcare professional" to the Secretary of State and other United Kingdom health Ministers. This was published on the Department's website on 14 July 2010 at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_117454.
	The Government welcome the report, which contains a comprehensive appraisal of the issues and clear recommendations. The report requires careful consideration and we intend to publish a substantive response in due course, after Ministers in all four UK countries have had the opportunity to consider its content.

Hepatitis

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Data on diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis are not collected centrally. Information on autoimmune hepatitis is available on the NHS Choices website:
	www.nhs.uk/conditions/Hepatitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
	or from the Autoimmune Hepatitis Support Group
	www.autoimmunehepatitis.co.uk/AIHquestions.htm#6
	or the British Liver Trust
	www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/home/the-liver/liver-diseases/autoimmune-hepatitis.aspx

Hepatitis

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on autoimmune hepatitis in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department has neither commissioned nor evaluated research, in the last five years, specifically on autoimmune hepatitis.
	The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre in Newcastle has a research theme on "Liver Disease in Aging". The NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Birmingham conducts research on gastrointestinal disease and hepatology.

Herbal Medicine: Regulation

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide for the statutory regulation of practitioners of herbal medicines; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department consulted in 2009 on whether, and if so how, to regulate practitioners of acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. The results of the consultation are being considered in light of the Government's overall strategy on the regulation of health care professions, and we expect a report to be published shortly.

HIV Infection: Health Services

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future commission of outpatient services for people with AIDS and HIV.

Anne Milton: Together with the White Paper "Liberating the NHS" this will provide the framework for the future commissioning of services for people living with HIV and AIDS.
	A public health White Paper will be published by the end of 2010, which will set out plans for a new public health service.

HIV Infection: Health Services

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with HIV and AIDS have been treated in NHS facilities in each of the last three years.

Anne Milton: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of HIV-infected individuals seen for HIV care and number of individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in national health service facilities in the United Kingdom, 2007-09 
			   Total number of HIV-infected individuals seen for HIV care  Number of HIV-infected individuals receiving ART 
			 2007 56,377 39,677 
			 2008 61,110 45,893 
			 2009 65,319 50,292

Maternity Services: Finance

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much was spent on NHS maternity services in each region in the 2008-09 financial year;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on  (a) the NHS and  (b) NHS maternity services in the 2008-09 financial year.

Anne Milton: Figures for the commissioning of secondary healthcare relating to maternity services by primary care trusts, aggregated to each strategic health authority area in 2008-09 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Strategic health authority  2008-09 Maternity spend (primary care trusts) £000 
			 East Midlands 151,387 
			 East of England 171,369 
			 London 335,671 
			 North East 91,001 
			 North West 316,310 
			 South Central 139,626 
			 South East Coast 133,822 
			 South West 182,529 
			 West Midlands 215,736 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 231,112 
			 Total (England) 1,968,563 
			  Source: Audited summarisation schedules of primary care trusts, 2008-09 
		
	
	The figures are for secondary healthcare only as information relating to primary healthcare expenditure on maternity services is not held centrally.
	Total national health service expenditure in 2008-09 (outturn) was £94.017 billion while total NHS revenue expenditure in 2008-09 (outturn) was £90.744 billion.

Medical Treatments: EU Countries

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the cost of issuing European Health Insurance cards in respect of  (a) postage,  (b) staff (i) salaries and (ii) on-costs and  (c) card production;
	(2)  what the EU regulatory basis is for the requirement that the UK issue European Health Insurance cards to the public free of charge.

Anne Milton: The criteria governing the provision of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) are contained in European social security regulations (EC) 883/2004 and 987/2009. The regulations do not state explicitly that a member state must provide the EHIC free of charge. For the financial year 2009-10, the cost of producing each card, as shown in the table, was £1.55. If a member state charged for the card a cost much greater than that to produce the card, it could be considered a barrier to free movement of people within the European Union.
	The costs of postage, the production of cards, staff salaries, on-costs and overheads for 2009-10 for the EHIC are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS Business Services Authority EHIC costs for financial year 2009-10 
			  Cost type  Cost (£) 
			 Postage(1) 600,556 
			 Staff salaries(2) 880,266 
			 Staff on cost(3) 193,658 
			 Overheads(4) 1,202,557 
			 On cost(5) 234,934 
			 Production of cards(6) 351,863 
			 Total 3,463,834 
			 Average cost per card issued 1.55 
			 (1) Postage-Estimate of cost incurred for use of a postal service. This figure does not include the cost of stationery, (2) Staff salaries-Estimated cost of staff salaries directly involved in the process. (3) Staff on costs-Estimated cost of pension and national insurance contributions for staff who are directly involved in the process. This has been calculated as 22% of staff salaries. (4) Overheads-This includes all the related administrative expenditure including the NHS BSA Prescription Pricing Division management, information technology maintenance and estates. Capital expenditure including Information Technology development costs and depreciation are not included in the on cost/overhead figure. (5) On cost-includes internal printing costs, cost of stationery, travel expenses etc. (6 )Production of 2,237,553 cards includes: (i) Materials: cards paper and envelopes (ii) Card manufacture (iii) Card personalisation (iv) Printing and personalisation of carrier letter (v) Matching and attaching the card to the carrier letter (vi) Sorting of mail (vii) Provision of management information Costs relating to producing, distributing and promoting EHIC application forms as well as processing medical expenses claims are not included. Source:  NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) costing model, invoice spreadsheet and contract management information.

Mental Health Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to increase the proportion of his Department's annual expenditure which is allocated to mental health services.

Paul Burstow: It is the responsibility of the local national health service to commission health care services for their local populations, including mental health care services, using the funds allocated to them in their baseline allocations
	However, at a national level, the Government have invested significant resources as part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme. This investment was £173 million in 2010-11. The £173 million per annum funding will be recurrent following the end of the current comprehensive spending review period.
	The NHS budget is protected and we know cuts in mental health services would be a false economy leading to greater costs in the future.

Mental Health Services: Regulation

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from psychotherapists and counsellors on regulation by the Health Professions Council.

Anne Milton: Since May, the Department has received at least 197 pieces of correspondence regarding the regulation of psychotherapists and counsellors by the Health Professions Council. It is unclear how many of these pieces of correspondence may have been written by people who are psychotherapists or counsellors.

Mental Illness

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of people in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tyneside and  (d) Newcastle Central constituency who have a mental illness.

Paul Burstow: The information is not available in the format requested. However, numbers of people accessing mental health services by geographical area have been published by the Office for National Statistics and are available at:
	www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/instanceSelection.do;jsessionid=ac1f930b30d8271167909ccf454b9795 al5021083727?JSAllowed=true&Function=&%24ph=60_61&Current PageId=61&step=2&datasetFamilyId=2207&instanceSelection =025929&Next.x=15&Next.y=6&nsjs=true&nsck=true&nssvg =false8tnswid=1055

Methadone: Prescriptions

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS drugs budget was of prescribing methadone in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: In the latest 12-month period for which figures are available, July 2009 to June 2010, the net ingredient cost of methadone prescriptions prescribed and dispensed, in the community, in England, was £39 million.
	Methadone is used for analgesia, for cough suppression in palliative care and for treatment of substance dependence. Methadone, particularly for the treatment of substance dependence, may also be provided to patients by other routes not included in the figure provided.

Methadone: Prescriptions

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what analysis has been undertaken by his Department of the age profile of those being prescribed methadone.

Anne Milton: Methadone is prescribed for a variety of clinical conditions, including the treatment of opioid (heroin) dependency, chronic pain and cough in terminal illness.
	There has been no specific analysis done on the age profile of those prescribed methadone, however the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) collects information on the number of people receiving substitute prescribing interventions for substance misuse in England which can be broken down by age. The data do not distinguish between methadone and the other drugs such as buprenorphine which are also recommended for that purpose by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
	The following table shows the NDTMS data on the numbers receiving substitute prescribing for substance misuse broken down by age for 2008-09.
	
		
			  Age  Number  Percentage 
			 18 to 24 14,143 9 
			 25 to 29 32,070 21 
			 30 to 34 34,820 23 
			 35 to 39 30,615 20 
			 40+ 38,338 26 
			 Total 149,986 100 
			  Source:  NDTMS operated by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse.

Midwives: Manpower

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) standalone midwife-led units and  (b) midwife-led units situated alongside consultant-led units there are in each region.

Anne Milton: There are currently 256 maternity units in England. 176 are consultant-led and 80 are midwife-led. There are 20 co-located midwife-led and consultant led units. The co-located units are in the strategic health authority areas:
	
		
			   Number 
			 West Midlands 4 
			 South West 3 
			 East of England 3 
			 London 3 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 1 
			 North West 2 
			 East Midlands 1 
			 South Central 1 
			 South East Coast 1

Midwives: Manpower

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places for student midwives there were in each region in the  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10 academic year.

Anne Milton: This information is not available by academic year. The number of midwifery commissions placed by each strategic health authority in the last two financial years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of Midwifery training commissions in 2008-09 and 2009-10 
			   National health service 
			   North East  North West  Yorkshire and the Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  East of England  London  South East Coast  South Central  South West  England Total 
			  2008-09 :
			 Degree 66 218 176 142 226 228 454 144 142 148 1,944 
			 18 Month diploma 20 39 35 15 69 43 0 59 31 12 328 
			 Total 86 257 211 157 295 276 454 203 173 160 2,272 
			 
			  2009-10 :
			 Degree 67 228 242 146 277 235 335 125 178 144 1,977 
			 18 Month diploma 25 35 27 33 53 54 176 53 25 24 505 
			 Total 92 263 269 179 330 289 511 178 203 168 2,482

Midwives: Manpower

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many student midwives were in receipt of a bursary in the  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10 academic year; what the average bursary paid to a student midwife was in each such year; and what the cost to his Department was of bursaries paid to student midwives in each such year.

Anne Milton: The number of midwifery students who held a bursary, the average bursary paid to those students and the total cost of all bursaries paid to student midwives in academic year 2008-09 can be found in the following table.
	Information for academic year 2009-10 is not yet available.
	
		
			   2008-09 
			 Number of bursary holders(1) 4,284 
			 Average amount paid per bursary holder(2 )(£) 5,751 
			 Total amount paid(2 )(£) 24,639,004 
			 (1 )Includes EU students who are not eligible for a bursary and those who receive a nil award after income assessment. (2 )Includes the basic award, all supplementary allowances and one off payments.  Note: All figures are round to the nearest pound.  Source:  NHS Business Services Authority

Motor Neurone Disease

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a national strategy on motor neurone disease; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Motor neurone disease is a long-term neurological condition; the national service framework for long-term neurological conditions (NSF) was developed to address long-standing issues in neurological care, e.g. inequity in access to services; work force shortages and variable quality of care across the country. The NSF's quality requirements include a separate section on addressing the needs of people with rapidly progressing conditions, such as motor neurone disease, where services need to respond quickly.
	We have no plans to introduce a national strategy for motor neurone disease.

Multiple Sclerosis: Employment Services

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to assist those who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis between the ages of 20 and 40 years old to remain in employment.

Paul Burstow: It is the responsibility of local health and social care bodies to ensure that they commission services to meet the needs of those living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and ensure that they are enabled to continue working as long as possible.
	In the future, outcomes, which the national health service and social care will be expected to achieve, will be set via the NHS Outcomes Framework and its social care equivalents. We will not tell the NHS how to achieve these outcomes but will hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account for delivery through the framework. Similarly, we will not direct local government how to achieve social care outcomes.
	The NHS Framework, which is currently out for consultation, contains domains specifically relevant to long-term neurological conditions such as MS:
	patient reported outcome measures for specific long-term conditions; and
	proposed indicators for emergency hospital admissions for both acute and chronic ambulatory care sensitive conditions.
	Officials are working with the Neurological Alliance to ensure that these outcomes are relevant to those living with long-term neurological conditions. We will set out, for consultation, an outcomes framework for social care later this year.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published a guideline on the management of multiple sclerosis in primary and secondary care in the NHS. It offers best practice advice on the diagnosis and care of patients with MS, focusing on the quality and configuration of services for patients and their carers, emphasising the need for flexible services to address the whole range of patient needs across primary, secondary, tertiary and social care. The guideline offers advice on rehabilitation services specifically designed to allow those living with multiple sclerosis to remain active and in work as long as possible.
	The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence liberating the NHS' proposes that NICE will take the responsibility for devising quality standards that cover both health and social care. This will support commissioning collaboration to ensure a more personalised and integrated approach to health and care.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 by NHS staff; and whether he has any plans to bring forward proposals to change NHS policies on whistleblowing.

Anne Milton: Our assessment is that the legislative framework provided by the Public Interest Disclosure Act is robust, but that staff are not always confident to raise concerns with their employers.
	In making an announcement on 9 June 2010,  Official Report, column 333, to the House about the inquiry into events at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out a range of proposals to give teeth to the current safeguards for whistleblowers in the Public Interest Disclosure Act.
	New guidance has been issued to the national health service about supporting staff and taking action on concerns raised by staff. Agreement has recently been reached within the NHS Staff Council to provide NHS staff with a contractual right to raise concerns. Amendments to the NHS Constitution will also be published for public consultation in the near future.

NHS: Manpower

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maternity support workers there were in each NHS trust at the latest date for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The following table shows the number of maternity support workers in each NHS trust as at 31 May 2010 which is the latest date available.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: maternity support staff by strategic health authority area and organisation level as at 31 May 2010 
			  headcount 
			Number 
			   England 8,176 
			
			   North East Strategic Health Authority area 392 
			 RLN City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust 27 
			 RXP County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 51 
			 RR7 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust 24 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust 20 
			 TAC Northumberland Care Trust 1 
			 RTF Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 111 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 71 
			 RE9 South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust 19 
			 RTD The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 63 
			
			   North West Strategic Health Authority area 1,118 
			 RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 32 
			 RW3 Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 92 
			 RJR Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 69 
			 RJN East Cheshire NHS Trust 19 
			 RXR East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 58 
			 5NM Halton and St Helens PCT 4 
			 RXN Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 39 
			 REP Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust 136 
			 RBT Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 41 
			 RNL North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust 13 
			 RW6 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 105 
			 RMC Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 57 
			 RM3 Safford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 65 
			 RVY Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 26 
			 RBN St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 24 
			 RWJ Stockport NHS Foundation Trust 50 
			 RMP Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 29 
			 RM4 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust 10 
			 RM2 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 54 
			 RTX University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust 50 
			 RWW Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 38 
			 RBL Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 65 
			 RRF Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust 42 
			
			   Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 838 
			 RCF Airedale NHS Foundation Trust 20 
			 RFF Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 27 
			 RAE Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 62 
			 RWY Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust 70 
			 RP5 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 36 
			 RCD Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust 15 
			 RWA Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 79 
			 RR8 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 121 
			 RXF Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 89 
			 RJL Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 63 
			 RCC Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust 22 
			 RHQ Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 148 
			 RFR The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust 43 
			 RCB York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 33 
			
			   East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 703 
			 RFS Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 44 
			 RTG Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 72 
			 RNQ Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 70 
			 RNS Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust 103 
			 5EM Nottingham City PCT 20 
			 RX1 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 86 
			 RK5 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 40 
			 RWD United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 81 
			 RWE University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust 187 
			
			   West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 954 
			 RXT Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 5PG Birmingham East and North PCT 1 
			 RLU Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust 106 
			 RJF Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 50 
			 RLT George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 24 
			 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 2 
			 RR1 Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust 118 
			 RLQ Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust 24 
			 RJD Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust 30 
			 RXK Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 93 
			 5PF Sandwell PCT 2 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust 63 
			 RJC South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust 29 
			 RNA The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 68 
			 RL4 The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust 59 
			 RJE University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust 86 
			 RKB University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 68 
			 RBK Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 36 
			 RWP Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 38 
			
			   East of England Strategic Health Authority area 863 
			 RDD Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 99 
			 RC1 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust 41 
			 RGT Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 80 
			 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 5 
			 RDE Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust 21 
			 RWH East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 57 
			 RQQ Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust 25 
			 RGQ Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 57 
			 RGP James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 28 
			 RC9 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 83 
			 5GC Luton PCT 10 
			 RO8 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 19 
			 RM1 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 58 
			 RGN Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 41 
			 RAJ Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 36 
			 RQW The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 54 
			 RCX The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust 38 
			 RWG West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 52 
			 RGR West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 29 
			
			   London Strategic Health Authority area 1,148 
			 RF4 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 75 
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 67 
			 RNJ Barts and The London NHS Trust 38 
			 ROM Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 53 
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 12 
			 RVR Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 73 
			 RJ1 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 38 
			 RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 46 
			 RYJ Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 81 
			 RJZ King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 53 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 63 
			 RJ6 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 30 
			 RNH Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 57 
			 RAP North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 28 
			 RV8 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 30 
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 22 
			 RYQ South London Healthcare NHS Trust 77 
			 RJ7 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust 46 
			 RAS The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 41 
			 RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 24 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 52 
			 RRV University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 70 
			 RFW West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 25 
			 RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 42 
			
			   South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 684 
			 RTK Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust 63 
			 RXH Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 70 
			 RN7 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 32 
			 RVV East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust 108 
			 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 48 
			 RDU Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 66 
			 RWF Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 60 
			 RPA Medway NHS Foundation Trust 53 
			 RA2 Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust 55 
			 RTP Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 54 
			 5P9 West Kent PCT 1 
			 RYR Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 74 
			
			   South Central Strategic Health Authority area 678 
			 RN5 Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust 7 
			 RXQ Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust 95 
			 5QC Hampshire PCT 1 
			 RD7 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 41 
			 5QT Isle of Wight NHS PCT 30 
			 RD8 Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 46 
			 RTH Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 130 
			 RHU Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 87 
			 RHW Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust 90 
			 RHM Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 121 
			 RN1 Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust 30 
			
			   South West Strategic Health Authority area 798 
			 5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 2 
			 5QQ Devon PCT 12 
			 RBD Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 29 
			 RTE Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 17 
			 5QH Gloucestershire PCT 9 
			 RN3 Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 39 
			 RVJ North Bristol NHS Trust 56 
			 RBZ Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust 19 
			 RK9 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 56 
			 RD3 Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 54 
			 REF Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 47 
			 RH8 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust 29 
			 RD1 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust 7 
			 RNZ Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RA9 South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 30 
			 RBA Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust 101 
			 RDZ The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 10 
			 RA7 University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust 170 
			 RA3 Weston Area Health NHS Trust 11 
			 5QK Wiltshire PCT 60 
			 RA4 Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 28 
			  Monthly data: As from 21 July 2010 The Information Centre has published experimental, provisional monthly NHS work force data. As expected with provisional, experimental statistics, some figures may be revised from month to month as issues are uncovered and resolved. The monthly work force data is not directly comparable with the annual work force census; it only includes those staff on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) (i.e. it does not include Bank staff). There are also new methods of presenting data (headcount methodology is different and there is now a role count). This information is available from September 2009 onwards at the following website: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provisionalmonthlyhchsworkforce  Data Quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.  Note: Maternity Support staff are: Nursery nurses, Nursing Assistant/auxiliary's, Health Care Assistants and Support Workers in the Maternity Services area of work.  Source: Provisional Monthly NHS Hospital and Community Health Service Workforce Statistics

NHS: Negligence

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been paid out in respect of  (a) settled claims and  (b) settled claims arising from maternity care under the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts.

Simon Burns: The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) supplied the information requested in the following table. Before April 2002, the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) operated 'excess' levels where trusts, rather than the NHSLA, handled and settled claims below the excess level. These data do not include those claims.
	
		
			  Damages paid on all closed( 1)  CNST claims and CNST claims settled as a periodical payment( 2)  as at 31 August 2010 
			  £ 
			  Type of settlement  Damages paid  Outstanding damages  Total damages 
			  All claims:
			 Non-periodical payments 1,727,050,445 0 1,727,050,445 
			 Periodical payments 580,814,825 698,151,389 1,278,966,214 
			 Total 2,307,865,270 698,151,389 3,006,016,659 
			 
			  Obstetric claims:
			 Non-periodical payments 498,303,176 0 498,303,176 
			 Periodical payments 398,946,088 482,031,956 880,978,044 
			 Total 897,249,264 482,031,956 1,379,281,220 
			 (1) Closed claims are claims where final payment has been made. (2 )Periodical payments are claims where ongoing payments are made to the claimant

NHS: Negligence

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 100 largest settled claims awarded under the Clinical Negligence Scheme to date are; how much was paid in each case; and which of these claims arose from maternity care.

Simon Burns: The NHS Litigation Authority provided the information requested in the following table.
	
		
			  100 largest clinical negligence scheme for trust claims closed( 1)  or settled as periodical payment( 2)  as at 31 August 2010 
			  Number  Status  Damages paid (£)  Outstanding damages (£)  Total damages (£)  Obstetric claim 
			 1 Periodical Payments 9,607,021 2,792,979 12,400,000 Yes 
			 2 Periodical Payments 5,000,000 4,960,000 9,960,000 Yes 
			 3 Periodical Payments 4,153,811 4,846,189 9,000,000 No 
			 4 Periodical Payments 2,460,141 6,339,859 8,800,000 No 
			 5 Periodical Payments 3,814,454 4,743,546 8,558,000 Yes 
			 6 Periodical Payments 3,304,750 4,895,250 8,200,000 Yes 
			 7 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 3,775,498 4,224,502 8,000,000 Yes 
			 8 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,955,753 5,044,247 8,000,000 Yes 
			 9 Periodical Payments and Indemnity Given 3,656,775 4,283,225 7,940,000 Yes 
			 10 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 3,369,863 4,380,137 7,750,000 Yes 
			 11 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 3,145,000 4,555,000 7,700,000 Yes 
			 12 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 3,314,633 4,267,367 7,582,000 Yes 
			 13 Periodical Payments 2,940,591 4,597,847 7,538,438 No 
			 14 Periodical Payments and Indemnity Given 3,214,877 4,285,123 7,500,000 Yes 
			 15 Periodical Payments 2,402,117 4,897,883 7,300,000 No 
			 16 Periodical Payments 2,375,000 4,875,000 7,250,000 Yes 
			 17 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 3,350,000 3,900,000 7,250,000 Yes 
			 18 Periodical Payments 2,631,000 4,527,000 7,158,000 Yes 
			 19 Periodical Payments 3,117,659 3,929,341 7,047,000 Yes 
			 20 Periodical Payments 1,450,000 5,550,000 7,000,000 Yes 
			 21 Periodical Payments 2,400,000 4,600,000 7,000,000 Yes 
			 22 Periodical Payments 2,613,250 4,151,750 6,765,000 Yes 
			 23 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,575,736 4,174,264 6,750,000 Yes 
			 24 Periodical Payments 3,361,086 3,280,914 6,642,000 Yes 
			 25 Settled-Damages Paid 6,632,844 0 6,632,844 Yes 
			 26 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 3,240,799 3,389,201 6,630,000 Yes 
			 27 Periodical Payments 2,819,350 3,780,650 6,600,000 Yes 
			 28 Periodical Payments 2,800,000 3,700,000 6,500,000 Yes 
			 29 Periodical Payments 2,480,000 4,020,000 6,500,000 Yes 
			 30 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,573,093 3,893,200 6,466,293 No 
			 31 Periodical Payments 3,008,838 3,391,162 6,400,000 Yes 
			 32 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 3,015,213 3,233,632 6,248,845 No 
			 33 Periodical Payments 2,472,000 3,728,000 6,200,000 Yes 
			 34 Periodical Payments 2,405,479 3,794,521 6,200,000 Yes 
			 35 Periodical Payments 2,673,338 3,459,662 6,133,000 Yes 
			 36 Periodical Payments 2,000,000 4,013,555 6,013,555 Yes 
			 37 Periodical Payments 2,631,575 3,368,425 6,000,000 No 
			 38 Periodical Payments 2,549,613 3,450,387 6,000,000 Yes 
			 39 Periodical Payments 2,737,417 3,262,583 6,000,000 Yes 
			 40 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 1,855,088 4,144,912 6,000,000 Yes 
			 41 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,600,772 3,399,228 6,000,000 No 
			 42 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,140,055 3,763,529 5,903,584 Yes 
			 43 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 1,503,055 4,352,695 5,855,750 Yes 
			 44 Periodical Payments 2,364,770 3,435,230 5,800,000 Yes 
			 45 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 1,583,524 4,216,476 5,800,000 No 
			 46 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,085,712 3,714,288 5,800,000 No 
			 47 Settled-Damages Paid 5,799,919 0 5,799,919 Yes 
			 48 Settled-Damages Paid 5,793,781 0 5,793,781 Yes 
			 49 Periodical Payments 2,857,980 2,928,020 5,786,000 Yes 
			 50 Periodical Payments 2,040,000 3,710,000 5,750,000 Yes 
			 51 Periodical Payments and Indemnity Given 2,761,906 2,988,094 5,750,000 Yes 
			 52 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,221,420 3,528,580 5,750,000 No 
			 53 Settled-Damages Paid 5,750,000 0 5,750,000 Yes 
			 54 Settled-Damages Paid 5,749,111 0 5,749,111 No 
			 55 Periodical Payments 2,195,118 3,504,882 5,700,000 Yes 
			 56 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,051,362 3,648,638 5,700,000 Yes 
			 57 Settled-Damages Paid 5,620,290 0 5,620,290 Yes 
			 58 Periodical Payments 2,216,550 3,383,450 5,600,000 Yes 
			 59 Periodical Payments 2,340,000 3,260,000 5,600,000 No 
			 60 Settled-Damages Paid 5,555,000 0 5,555,000 Yes 
			 61 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 1,986,348 3,513,652 5,500,000 Yes 
			 62 Settled-Damages Paid 5,500,000 0 5,500,000 Yes 
			 63 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,036,063 3,422,309 5,458,372 No 
			 64 Periodical Payments 2,152,913 3,247,087 5,400,000 Yes 
			 65 Settled-Damages Paid 5,375,148 0 5,375,148 Yes 
			 66 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,400,000 2,950,000 5,350,000 Yes 
			 67 Periodical Payments 2,356,490 2,970,794 5,327,284 Yes 
			 68 Periodical Payments 2,614,364 2,685,636 5,300,000 Yes 
			 69 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 1,356,181 3,903,819 5,260,000 Yes 
			 70 Periodical Payments 2,624,557 2,632,669 5,257,226 Yes 
			 71 Periodical Payments 2,436,230 2,763,770 5,200,000 Yes 
			 72 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 1,913,000 3,229,395 5,142,395 Yes 
			 73 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,325,760 2,810,568 5,136,328 Yes 
			 74 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,010,000 3,115,000 5,125,000 Yes 
			 75 Settled-Damages Paid 5,007,137 0 5,007,137 No 
			 76 Settled-Damages Paid 5,000,000 0 5,000,000 Yes 
			 77 Periodical Payments 1,888,357 3,111,643 5,000,000 Yes 
			 78 Periodical Payments 1,430,000 3,570,000 5,000,000 No 
			 79 Periodical Payments and Indemnity Given 1,955,660 3,044,340 5,000,000 No 
			 80 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,397,539 2,602,461 5,000,000 No 
			 81 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,370,411 2,629,590 5,000,000 Yes 
			 82 Periodical Payments with Reverse Indemnity 2,542,272 2,357,728 4,900,000 Yes 
			 83 Periodical Payments 2,200,000 2,650,000 4,850,000 Yes 
			 84 Settled-Damages Paid 4,850,000 0 4,850,000 Yes 
			 85 Periodical Payments 1,816,563 3,004,535 4,821,098 Yes 
			 86 Settled-Damages Paid 4,817,988 0 4,817,988 Yes 
			 87 Periodical Payments 2,000,000 2,805,720 4,805,720 Yes 
			 88 Periodical Payments 2,233,846 2,566,154 4,800,000 Yes 
			 89 Periodical Payments 2,037,500 2,742,500 4,780,000 Yes 
			 90 Periodical Payments 1,750,715 2,999,285 4,750,000 Yes 
			 91 Periodical Payments 1,889,572 2,860,428 4,750,000 Yes 
			 92 Settled-Damages Paid 4,750,000 0 4,750,000 Yes 
			 93 Periodical Payments 1,856,929 2,856,071 4,713,000 Yes 
			 94 Periodical Payments 2,135,833 2,561,686 4,697,519 No 
			 95 Periodical Payments 2,280,928 2,389,072 4,670,000 Yes 
			 96 Periodical Payments 2,123,326 2,543,833 4,667,159 No 
			 97 Periodical Payments and Indemnity Given 2,120,016 2,542,305 4,662,321 Yes 
			 98 Periodical Payments 1,300,000 3,350,000 4,650,000 No 
			 99 Periodical Payments 1,383,960 3,255,080 4,639,040 Yes 
			 100 Periodical Payments 2,535,376 2,077,134 4,612,510 Yes 
			 (1) Closed claims are claims where final payment has been made. (2) Periodical payments are claims where ongoing payments are made to the claimant.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) Ministers and officials in his Department and  (b) representatives of the private and voluntary sectors on prescription charges;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) Ministers and officials in his Department and  (b) representatives of the private and voluntary sectors on the Prescription Pricing Authority.

Simon Burns: In the period 12 May 2010 to 9 September 2010, there were four discussions with ministerial colleagues and officials in the Department concerning prescription charges and none concerning NHS Prescription Services (formerly the Prescription Pricing Authority). In the same period, Ministers had one discussion with representatives from the private and voluntary sectors on prescription charges but had none concerning the NHS Prescription Services.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which long-term illnesses qualify people for free prescriptions; whether he plans to amend this list; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The list of medical exemptions is contained in SI 2000, No. 620, as amended. In England, a person is entitled to apply for a medical exemption certificate if they suffer from:
	a permanent fistula (including caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy, or ileostomy) which requires continuous surgical dressing or requires an appliance;
	forms of hypoadrenalism (including Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential;
	diabetes insipidus or other forms of hypopituitarism;
	diabetes mellitus (except where treatment of the diabetes is by diet alone);
	hypoparathyroidism;
	myasthenia gravis;
	myxoedema;
	epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive therapy;
	continuing physical disability which prevents the patient from leaving his residence without the help of another person; or
	they are undergoing treatment for cancer, the effects of cancer or the effects of current or previous cancer treatment (from 1 April 2009).
	Decisions on any future changes to the system of prescription charges and exemptions in England would need to be taken in the context of the next Spending Review, which is due to report on 20 October.

School Milk

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the nursery milk scheme on the health of children under five years;
	(2)  what arrangements his Department plans to put in place to mark World School Milk day;
	(3)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the likely effects of ending the nursery milk scheme on children from low-income families;
	(4)  what recent representations his Department has received from the dairy sector on proposals to end the nursery milk scheme;
	(5)  what evidence his Department took into account in its assessment that the nursery milk scheme was not effective;
	(6)  if he will place in the Library a copy of each response received from devolved administrations on proposals to abolish the nursery milk scheme.

Anne Milton: The Department has no plans to end the nursery milk scheme or to mark World School Milk day. Dairy UK wrote to Ministers on 4 August 2010.
	The Department is unaware of any external studies undertaken on the effectiveness of the nursery milk scheme. It is well known that milk is a source of important nutrients (such as calcium) as part of a balanced varied diet for young children, and we are continuing with the scheme.
	A response was sent by the Scottish Government on 6 August 2010 to the Department. The Department received no other correspondence from the devolved Administrations. It is not usual practice to place copies of inter-ministerial correspondence in the Library.

School Milk

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the future funding of the nursery milk scheme will be included in the Spending Review.

Anne Milton: The Department has no plans to end the Nursery Milk Scheme.

Smoking

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many jobs in smoke-free partnerships are funded directly or indirectly by his Department; at what cost to the public purse; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: This information is not held centrally.
	There is no standard template for funding because these partnerships have grown up over the years to reflect the public health priorities in the particular areas which they serve. Smoking is a major cause of early death and disease and we will make clear our priorities in this area in the Public Health White Paper later this year.
	Smokefree partnerships vary in composition but they have in common close cooperation at the local and regional levels between national health service, local government, other Government Departments such as HM Revenue and Customs, voluntary sector groups and private sector organisations with an interest in tackling smoking.
	They have developed as a result of local initiatives to prioritise activity on smoking in those regions which have the highest prevalence and the greatest health burden resulting from smoking. They originally grew out of initiatives in the early 1990's when the White Paper The health of the nation published in July 1992 encouraged activity at this level. They have evolved into their existing form during the last ten years. The smokefree partnership in the south west has only been operating for the last two years and has the highest level of funding from its agreement with the primary care trusts (PCTs) in the region.
	Levels of funding and sources of funding for the partnerships has changed over the years. There have been some years especially between 2004 and 2009 when central funding was made available. In those regions with smokefree partnerships this central funding would have been added to the funds raised locally.
	Those regions which do not have a smokefree partnership have in recent years been more heavily dependent on central funding and on the activities of the Regional Tobacco Policy Manager. With the changes brought about in response to the current financial situation some regions have dispensed with their Regional Tobacco Policy Managers. The levels of activity on smoking issues therefore varies considerably.
	The regions with smokefree partnerships are currently principally funded from agreements developed with PCTs. Changes in the NHS (as set out in the recently published NHS White Paper) and the ending of PCTs will result in further changes in the immediate future.
	The publication of the Public Health White Paper later this year and the development of the Public Health Service in line with the Government's new priorities will also impact on the smokefree partnerships, their future work and funding. Whether previous funding arrangements remain appropriate for the future is an issue, which will have to be considered in due course both at national level and by their funders at local and regional level.

Spinal Injuries

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average annual cost to the NHS of treating spinal problems.

Simon Burns: Based on returns submitted in reference costs, the estimated cost to the national health service of secondary care relating to spinal surgery and spinal disorders in 2008-09 was £417 million. This does not represent the total cost because it excludes general practitioner consultations, out-patient attendances, prescribing and other costs related to the treatment of spinal problems, which cannot be separately identified.

Tuberculosis: Health Services

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much was spent from the public purse on the treatment of  (a) multi drug-resistant and  (b) extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the average cost of treating a patient with  (a) drug responsive,  (b) multi drug-resistant and  (c) extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The available information on prescription of drugs for tuberculosis (TB) does not allow identification of the particular diagnosis made in individual patients, as there may be overlap between the drugs used to treat multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) or extremely drug resistant TB (XDR-TB). It is also likely that patients with drug-resistant TB will receive other drugs that are also used to treat other conditions, and it is not possible to identify what proportion of the use of such drugs would be for such patients.
	Information on expenditure on drugs prescribed to treat TB is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Net ingredient cost (£000) 
			  Calendar year  Prescription cost analysis database  Hospital prescribing database  Combined total 
			 2005 1,894.2 4,509.8 6,404.1 
			 2006 2,105.7 4,526.0 6,631.6 
			 2007 2,310.9 4,710.0 7,020.9 
			 2008 2,106.3 5,463.7 7,570.0 
			 2009 1,748.1 5,356.4 7,104.5 
			  Notes: 1. Net ingredient cost (NIC) is the basic cost of a drug. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees, prescription charges income or other costs such as staff time. 2. The table shows the NIC of drugs classified by Prescription Services as being for the treatment of tuberculosis from the prescription cost analysis database, which covers prescriptions dispensed in the community. Data for the same drugs have been extracted from the Hospital Pharmacy Audit Index, which provides an estimate of the cost of drugs used in hospitals. The cost of drugs for hospital use is not necessarily the actual price paid but is the cost of the drugs issued priced using the price lists that apply to prescribing. 3. Hospital dispensing information is provided by IMS www.imshealth.com  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care 
		
	
	A study has estimated that the average costs of managing a case of pulmonary drug sensitive TB or MDR-TB are about £6,000 and £60,000 respectively.(1) Costs of treating XDR-TB are likely to be higher than for MDR-TB, as the cost of drugs may be more expensive, the course of treatment may be longer and other related costs such as for in-patient and out-patient care may be greater.
	(1) White, VLC, Moore-Gillon, J. Resource implications of patients with multidrug resistant tuberculosis. "Thorax 2000"; 55: 962-963.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Audit Commission: Handbooks

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the Audit Commission's staff handbook.

Bob Neill: A copy of the Audit Commission's Terms and Conditions document has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Please note that although this is the current document some changes have been made to the Commission's car scheme in response to the announcement to disband the Commission. All current orders have been cancelled and no new orders will be made. Drivers have been asked to use their current car beyond the normal lease end and any cars returned by redundant staff are being reallocated.

Audit Commission: Labour Party

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the Audit Commission made a payment of £10,143.44 to the Labour Party in 2009-10.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 14 September 2010:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	Payment was made to the Labour Party in 2009-10 for attendance at the Party Conference, as follows:
	exhibition space at the Labour Party Conference 2009-£9,100.00
	four nights overnight accommodation for our previous Chief Executive, Steve Bundred, at the Hilton Metropole Brighton in the secure zone-£1,043.44
	The Chief Executive attended the Liberal Democrat and Conservative Party conferences in 2009 where the Commission also exhibited.

Audit Commission: Plants

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on pot plants by the Audit Commission in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 14 September 2010:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission spent £40,499 excluding VAT on plant displays in 2009/10 as published on the Commission's website.
	In 2008/09 the Commission spent £27,814 excluding VAT on plant displays.
	Spend on plants in 2008/09 is lower than 2009/10 due to the timing of payments.
	Plant displays are used in approximately 20 Audit Commission offices.

Audit Commission: Public Relations

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many communications, marketing and press staff are employed by the Audit Commission; and at what cost in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 14 September 2010:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	In the financial year ending 31 March 2010 the Communications directorate had a total of 48 posts, which included a national publishing centre, design team, digital media team, events team, regional communication managers, internal communications team, direct marketing officers and a national press office. Staff costs for this period were £2,352,517.

Audit Commission: Public Relations

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by the Audit Commission under its contract with Connect Public Affairs.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and 1 have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 14 September 2010:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission has spent £66,291.76 (excluding VAT) under its contract with Connect Public Affairs. This contract was terminated in February 2010.

Audit Commission: Smith Institute

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether directors of the Audit Commission have had meetings with representatives of the Smith Institute in the last 18 months.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 14 September 2010:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The Managing Director of Policy, Research & Studies met with Paul Hackett, Director of the Smith Institute on 15 September 2009.
	The Managing Director of Communications met with Paul Hackett, Director of the Smith Institute on 4 March 2010.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in the Department in each of the last three years.

Bob Neill: For information in respect of 2008-09 and 2009-10, I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statements made on 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 118WS and on 27 July 2010,  Official Report, column 82WS.
	Information for earlier years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Plants

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on pot plants by his Department in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Bob Neill: The following table identifies how much Communities and Local Government spent on the maintenance of existing pot plants since 2004, including details of the  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10 spend:
	
		
			  Contract year  Cost (£) 
			 July 2004 to June 2005 5,555.88 
			 July 2005 to June 2006 5,555.88 
			 July 2006 to June 2007 6,634.32 
			 July 2007 to June 2008 6,634.32 
			 July 2008 to June 2009 6,634.32 
			 July 2009 to June 2010 6,454.58 
			 July 2010 to September 2010 1,388.97 
			 Total 38,858.27 
		
	
	In July 2004, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister signed a contract with Mitie for maintenance of internal plants in Eland House. In July 2010, the Department gave due notice that this contract will be terminated; the contract will formally end in September 2010.
	The pot plants are owned by the Department, rather than leased. When the contract ends, as suggested by staff in feedback on departmental cost savings, the plants will be looked after by departmental staff on a voluntary basis. No new pot plants have been procured since May 2010. A copy of the relevant section of the 2004 contract on internal planting has been placed in the Library of the House.

Fire Services: Kent

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority on plans to regionalise fire service control rooms.

Bob Neill: In August I visited Kent and Medway fire and rescue authority and discussed the FiReControl project as one element of a wider discussion on fire related issues.

Homelessness

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to enable local authorities to assist those in priority groups as defined by the Homelessness Act 2002 into housing in the private rented sector in respect of which the lease is less than 10 years in duration.

Grant Shapps: Local housing authorities are already able to assist people in the statutory priority need groups who have been accepted as unintentionally homeless by providing them with accommodation leased from a private sector landlord for a period less than 10 years. At the end of June there were around 50,000 households being assisted under the homelessness legislation in temporary accommodation, of which around 61% were in accommodation leased from a private sector landlord. Authorities can also arrange for people in the statutory priority need groups who are unintentionally homeless to be offered assured shorthold tenancies in the private rented sector. Where the applicant makes an informed decision to accept such an offer, the homelessness duty comes to an end.

Housing Associations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to  (a) reduce the number of housing associations operating in individual local authority areas and  (b) ensure that housing associations are based in the areas they serve.

Grant Shapps: Housing associations are private sector bodies. The Secretary of State has no locus in limiting the number of associations operating within a local authority area or in insisting that they are only based in the areas which they own or manage property.

Housing Associations: Pay

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the salaries paid to chief executives and other senior officials of housing associations; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: Housing associations are obliged by law to publish the salary of their highest paid director in their annual report. We expect housing associations to show restraint when setting or renegotiating remuneration packages for their senior staff. As a Department we will seek to proactively highlight the pay of Housing Association Directors and will invite the NHF to help to highlight excessive Housing Association executive pay to drive down costs.

Local Authorities: Public Relations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will encourage local authorities to cease to employ external public relations companies; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: I will shortly be consulting on strengthening the statutory Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity so as to stop taxpayers' money from being spent on private lobbying contractors, used by local authorities to persuade the public to take a particular view on specific policies.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultations are taking place on proposals for local enterprise partnerships.

Bob Neill: The closing date for submitting local enterprise partnership proposals to the Government was 6 September 2010. I am pleased to confirm that Government received 57 proposals from groups of councils and businesses from across the country. A joint press notice is available on the CLG and BIS websites.
	These will be locally owned partnerships, in contrast to the top-down prescriptive approach taken previously by the arbitrary boundaries of regional development agencies. As such it will be up to local areas to assemble partnerships proposals and consult appropriately.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the deadline is for submissions to be made to his Department for consultations on local enterprise partnerships.

Bob Neill: The closing day for submitting local enterprise partnership proposals to the Government was 6 September 2010. I am pleased to confirm that Government received 57 proposals from groups of councils and businesses from across the country. A joint press notice is available on the CLG and BIS websites.
	Ministers have been impressed by many of the proposals which reflect the importance of allowing local areas to determine their own economic development and drive private sector job growth-unconstrained by arbitrary boundaries of Regional Development Agencies and the top-down prescriptive approach taken previously.

Local Government

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the total number of statutory duties required of local councils in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: No estimate has been made. We are committed to reducing top down burdens on local authorities from legislation, guidance and other forms of prescription.

Local Strategic Partnerships

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for the future of local strategic partnerships; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Local strategic partnerships are non-statutory groups of local organisations, led by local authorities, coming together voluntarily to work in partnership. Decisions on their future, including composition, accountability and structures, are entirely a matter for local areas themselves.

Mayors: Conduct

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Northampton North of 22 July 2010,  Official Report, column 487W, on mayors, whether he plans to propose a power for electors to recall an elected mayor.

Bob Neill: Our plans, as set out in the Structural Reform Plan, published by my Department on 8 July, are to legislate through the Localism Bill for directly elected mayors to enable the largest 12 cities in England to have mayors from 2012, subject to confirmatory referendums and full scrutiny by elected councillors.

Museums and Galleries: Fees and Charges

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport the merits of the relaxation by the Arts Council of free entry conditions on capital grants to local authorities to permit the charging of admission to  (a) art galleries and  (b) other arts venues.

Bob Neill: This coalition Government have already reduced ringfencing on grants to local authorities by £1.2 billion in 2010-11 and, in the context of the current Spending Review, will look to reduce ringfencing even further. This will increase local authorities' freedom and the flexibility to allocate funding more appropriately to their local conditions and priorities.

Ordnance Survey: Public Sector

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the public sector mapping agreement supersedes previous agreements between Ordnance Survey and individual local authorities.

Bob Neill: The Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA) will supersede previous agreements between Ordnance Survey and local authorities only where those were part of the current Local Government Mapping Services Agreement (MSA), which is due to expire on 31 March 2011.
	In addition to the MSA, Ordnance Survey has agreements with some individual local authorities for the licensing of data, or usage, not covered by the MSA. It is expected that this type of arrangement will continue outside the PSMA, if local authorities have needs for mapping data not covered by the PSMA.

Renewable Energy: Planning Permission

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2010,  Official Report, column 532W, on renewable energy: planning permission, when key decisions and the way forward on amending the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 for small-scale wind turbines and air source heat pumps will be announced.

Bob Neill: The Government are committed to amending the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 to introduce permitted development rights for small-scale wind turbines and air source heat pumps, as part of our agenda to support renewable energy and low carbon technologies. There are a number of technical and practical issues that we are considering. We are aiming to resolve these, and to make key announcements and legislative changes as soon as possible.

Repossession Orders: Wiltshire

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in North Swindon constituency were repossessed in each of the last five years.

Grant Shapps: There are two independent sources of data on actual numbers of mortgage possessions: The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). However both are only available for the United Kingdom as a whole.
	The Council of Mortgage Lenders latest press release on repossessions is on their website at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/media/press/2680
	The Financial Services Authority data is available on their website at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Other_publications/statistics/index.shtml

Social Rented Housing

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to consult tenants groups on the future of secure tenancies in social rented housing.

Andrew Stunell: The Government are absolutely committed to protecting the security of tenure and rights of those currently living in social housing. With a record five million people on social housing waiting lists it is right that we should look at ways of improving the system for new tenancies, and consider how best to help the most vulnerable in our society. How we make best use of our social housing should be a matter for open debate and discussion, and we welcome the views of tenant groups as part of this. On 4 August, we announced our plans for a National Affordable Home Swap Scheme, which will allow social tenants to move-such as for family or employment reasons-without losing their footing on the social housing ladder, so increasing the tenure rights and opportunities of those in social housing.

Tyres

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies take into account rolling resistance as a performance criterion when purchasing tyres.

Bob Neill: The Department does not directly purchase tyres.
	Fire Service College do not take account of rolling resistance when purchasing vehicle tyres. Their purchasing criteria are based on best value for money.
	Planning Inspectorate and Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre do not purchase tyres.